Miles Briggs, Lothian Tory MSP, took part in yesterday’s debate-which will be concluded today- on whether the Scottish Government should formally request powers from the UK government to hold a second independence referendum. Miles attacked the leadership of the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Speaking in the debate Miles said:
“A First Minster is there to bring a country together – to bring the whole country together."
“But in Nicola Sturgeon we have a First Minister who knows only one way to govern and that is to pit one Scot against another – the politics of grievance and division. And I don’t think that works for our country any longer – Scotland is too vast, too complex a country to be governed in such a way."
“After what has been a hugely disruptive period in Scottish and British Politics last week we saw the true, calculated response to the United Kingdom leaving the EU from this First Minster."
“At the very time when we needed politicians from across this country to come together and work together – we had a First Minister looking to exploit an already difficult and complex situation.
“Just look how the First Minister has approached the decision taken by voters across the United Kingdom to leave the EU."
“Just three hours after the UK wide result was declared – did the First Minister rise to the office she holds and look to call for unity and keep a calm head? Did the First Minister enter into a constructive working relationship with the new Prime Minister to help protect Scottish jobs and look to opportunities for our country in the future?
“No – instead – the First Minister looked to exploit anxiety to try to turn it into grievance and division – to try to take us back to 2014 referendum. And I think the events of the last week has shown the people of Scotland exactly the sort of First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon wants to be. A First Minister who isn’t really interested in finding solutions – but instead a First Minister who wants to exploit the issues for narrow political gain."
“I do not doubt that Scotland and the United Kingdom face some real and pressing challenges as we work to build the strongest political and economic future for our countries outside of the European Union but we should be working with and building strong trade links with every European country.”
