April 2002

Democracy - That is the question

Monday, April 29, 2002

Constituency issues have featured again in a big way in the House of Commons and I have taken every opportunity to quiz ministers directly including Prime Minister Tony Blair. Every week there are special sessions where different cabinet ministers have to answer for their decisions, or the lack of them. It is not easy to get called as often as one would like by the amiable and extremely competent Speaker Michael Martin who hails from Glasgow. That is not because of any prejudice but is due to the fact that there are more than 650 MP’s in total. Over the past seven days there have been three Ministerial question times with particular importance to Moray and I have been fortunate to take part in all of them.

Readers will be aware of my efforts to secure guaranteed airlinks from Inverness Airport, which follows on from Margaret Ewing’s campaign on the same subject when she represented Moray in the House of Commons.

Sadly the UK government has been humming and hawing about a key measure which would safeguard the key Inverness to London airlink which is vital to Moray and the north of Scotland generally. That is why I queried the Transport Minister about the lengthy government delay and told him that this was inexplicable to the people of the region.

His reply was a disappointment and there was still no clear answer about when London Labour will deliver. Nevertheless the pressure is on and I will keep the government on its toes.

A second matter of concern subject to questions this week is one which is regularly raised by service personnel and support staff at RAF Lossiemouth and the Moray Trades Union Council, namely the highly unpopular plan to privatise fire services on air bases.

At Defence Questions I asked the Minister of State for the Armed Forces if he could: “name one single neutral observer, trade union, political party or Back-Bench Member of Parliament of any party who supports the privatisation of the Defence Fire Service”?

If his partisan response is anything to go by ‘no’ should have been the real answer, except he didn’t say that. The time is not too late to influence government thinking and I would urge concerned readers to send a letter to the Ministry of Defence and add their voice in protest.


The media highpoint of the week is the Wednesday joust of Prime Minister’s Question Time. That is when Tony Blair takes half an hour out of his schedule to face MP’s and answer their points of concern and dodge tricky queries.

The chamber is packed with every seat taken and the public gallery full. Journalists analyse every nuance, tone and gesticulation and MP’s try their best to make a good impression.

Last week was the first time since my election to ask a question of the Prime Minister. Names are pulled from the hat and I was high enough in the poll to have a guaranteed chance to quiz the PM. One of the most talked about recent developments has been the electoral success of French extremist Jean Marie Le Pen. Because colleagues before me in the queue posed topical worries concerning the Middle East and the budget it made perfect sense to ask about the rise of extremism.

The Prime Minister has gone on record publicly condemning the French National Front and has called for every effort to be made to stop racist parties. I pointed out that this didn’t stop him building a special relationship with the right-wing Italian government that includes Neo-Fascists. Hopefully the lessons from France are clear for all democrats: that there should be no tolerance for extremism and intolerance and every vote is vital.

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SNP/PLAID MPs TO TAKE PART IN PARIS RALLY

Friday, April 26, 2002

In his position as the SNP's Westminster Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Angus Robertson MP willbe travelling with Plaid Cymru Westminster Whip Mr Simon Thomas MP to Paris next Wednesday, 1 May, in order to participate in pro-democracy demonstrations to oppose the election of Jean-Marie Le Pen to the French Presidency.

The SNP and Plaid Cymru will be visiting Paris and holding discussions with the French Greens. (In the European Parliament, the four SNP and Plaid Cymru Euro-MPs sit in the European Free Alliance/Green Group).

Announcing the visit, Mr Robertson said:

“There are already right-wing extremists in government in Italy and Austria, and the issues in the French presidential election have implications for all of Europe. That is why it is right for democrats across Europe to show solidarity with colleagues in France by taking part in next week’s May Day rally in Paris.

“The SNP and Plaid Cymru have tabled a cross party Motion in the House of Commons to express the overwhelming opposition to Le Pen that exists in Scotland, Wales and across the UK, and we want to play our part in opposing the racism, intolerance and isolationism for which he stands.”

Mr Thomas said:

“Le Pen won second place in the French election by default – because of apathy and falling turnout. That must not be allowed to happen again – in France or anywhere else – which is why it’s important for the vast majority of Europeans who stand for tolerance, inclusion and solidarity to take action now.”

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ROBERTSON TABLES CROSS-PARTY MOTION ON LE PEN

Wednesday, April 24, 2002

The Scottish National Party’s Shadow Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mr Angus Robertson MP has tabled a Motion in the House of Commons on the French Presidential Election, which has been co-sponsored by fellow Scots MPs Iain Luke (Labour, Dundee East), and Peter Duncan (Tory, Galloway & Upper Nithsdale), and also Lib Dem front bencher Jenny Tonge, Plaid Cymru Whip Simon Thomas, and Ulster Unionist MP Lady Hermon.

Early Day Motion number 1184 on today’s Order Paper reads:

“That this House expresses its concern at the National Front candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen securing a place in the final stages of the French presidential election; rejects the racism, intolerance and isolationism for which he stands; believes that apathy and declining turnout rather than a significant increase in the National Front vote share enabled Monsieur Le Pen to win second place; and calls on all democrats across Europe to stand together and resist these extreme influences on the political process, by offering imaginative programmes based on the values of solidarity, compassion and enterprise which inspire and engage the public, and consign Monsieur Le Pen and his ilk to the margins of European politics.”

Mr Robertson said: “Scotland has ancient links with France, going right back to the original ‘Auld Alliance’ in 1295, and Scots share the worry and disappointment of people across Europe at the result of the first French presidential ballot.

“The problem in the French election is less that Le Pen’s vote went up, which it did only marginally, and much more that apathy and a falling turnout enabled him to win second place on a relatively small share of the vote. The challenge for democrats across Europe – who reject the racism, intolerance and isolationism that Le Pen stands for – is to inspire and engage the public in the democratic process, so that we can consign Le Pen and his ilk to the margins of European politics where they belong.”


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Messages of Support for MSP

Tuesday, April 16, 2002

From my first day back at Westminster since the news that Margaret Ewing MSP is bravely battling cancer I have been inundated by colleagues from all parties who wanted to wish her a speedy recovery.

Margaret of course served as Moray’s MP for a long time before my election and she was liked and respected by parliamentarians regardless of their political views in the House of Commons. One committee that I serve on decided to send her a special message of support and I have received similar phone messages and e-mails from many MPs.

Just like all those who know Margaret I wish her well as she recovers from surgery and look forward to her return to frontline politics where she will continue to effectively represent Moray in the Scottish Parliament.


After nearly one year in the House of Commons I have heard a fair number of speeches, but this week’s debate on the Middle East witnessed some of the finest.

MP’s from all parties made passionate and thoughtful contributions on the tragedy that is befalling the region. There was a rare degree of agreement about the spiralling suicide bomb attacks and Israeli military campaign.

While all speakers condemned the killing of innocent Israeli’s there was powerful condemnation of the brutal military operations against civilian Palestinian areas.

The Scottish National Party is committed to democratic constitutional change and self-determination for Scotland. For that reason it is clear that my colleagues and I recognise the right and aspiration of both Israeli and Palestinian people to national independence and security.

In my speech I took the opportunity to condemn all acts of violence in the region—whether acts of state violence by the Israeli Government, or terrorist attacks by Palestinian factions and suicide bombers.

The Israeli Government justifies the actions of their defence forces by saying that they are dismantling the infrastructure of terrorism. However it is clear that their aim is broader than justifiably dealing with the terrible suicide bomb attacks. It is instead an attempt to dismantle the infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority. This is a big mistake and the time has come for a stronger reaction from the UK, European Union and the United States. It is unacceptable that hundreds of innocent Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army and that relief organisations and international monitors are being blocked from entering Palestinian areas.

It is supremely ironic that force is being considered to deal with Iraq which has consistently broken UN resolutions, yet we are not prepared to consider imposing even limited arms sanctions against another country that has also consistently broken UN resolutions since 1967?

I dislike Saddam Hussein's regime as much as anyone else, but MP’s are still waiting for a UK government dossier on the Iraqi program to produce weapons of mass destruction. What we do not have to wait for, however, are clear breaches of UN resolutions when considering the situation in Israel.

The extraordinary provocation and senseless killings by suicide bombers are a massive challenge to the Israeli authorities to protect their citizens. Nevertheless, on balance, the time has come for the countries that can influence Israel to act decisively. We have a responsibility to use the political and economic leverage that we possess to influence change. Although I welcome the recent change in tack by the United States and the mission of Secretary of State Powell, it is time for the US Administration genuinely to press Israel to withdraw from Jenin and the other occupied areas. It is also high time for the EU and the people in Europe to lead by example.

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Tartan Day Celebrations

Sunday, April 7, 2002

As the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, there was only one place for me to be this week – at Tartan Day in the USA. After attending the special recall sitting of the House of Commons marking the death of the Queen Mother it was off to New York and Washington DC. You might have seen the pictures on TV or read the reports in the paper over the weekend, but I doubt they can have conveyed the sense of excitement and optimism about Scotland on the streets of New York.

In the seething mass of Manhattan, it is usually difficult even to hail a taxi on 6th Avenue. On Saturday, I arrived with a full SNP delegation including Sean Connery and Winnie Ewing. 7,500 pipers managed to get the whole street closed for a party and march which set the tone for a celebration of all that was positive about our country.

The ties between Scotland and the US are well known. This country is full of Scots Americans – 15 million at the last count. 9 US Presidents claim Scottish ancestry.

The decision of the US Senate to declare 6th April every year as National Tartan Day in 1998 was recognition of the impact of the Declaration of Arbroath – the most famous statement of Scottish Independence written in 1320 - on both the later American declaration of independence and many of those who built the fledgling US state into the economic powerhouse it is today. I can’t help reflecting on the irony of an annual public celebration of Scottish Independence taking place here in the US when the teaching of Scottish history in Scotland is still so limited and so timid.

Scotland has an amazing story to tell. We have changed the world with our enterprise and invention. We have provided leaders in politics and public service in nearly every country on earth. Yet at home we remain so reluctant to celebrate our heritage.

There is no shortage of people to criticise America and to scoff at Tartan Day. But as someone who has been here to witness first hand what Scottish heritage means to those living here and to see the positive impact this celebration can have for Scottish businesses, tourism and our international standing I take a different view. To me, Tartan Day is a chance to sell Scotland abroad and an opportunity to re-integrate Scotland into the community of nations.

For our new Scottish democracy to mature, Scotland must engage abroad. Many years ago Winnie Ewing put it so well when she declared ‘ Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on’. From the evidence of this week, America is beginning to listen.

The visit to the US was also a great opportunity to lobby for Scottish business, tourism and raising our profile amongst key decision makers.

Moray had three representatives at the events with Highlands and Island MSP’s Winnie Ewing and Duncan Hamilton as well as myself. We attended meetings promoting the Scotch whisky industry and we lobbied to safeguard cashmere exports with the key White House Trade Negotiator.

I also spent a day at the United Nations headquarters in New York and talked with a series of top officials who are trying to resolve conflicts from the Middle East to Afghanistan.

All in all Tartan Day and all the associated events were an overwhelming success. Hopefully it will go from strength to strength and if you can get to the US in April next year I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

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ROBERTSON IN TALKS WITH TOP UN OFFICIALS

Friday, April 5, 2002

During his visit to the United States to participate in “Tartan Day” events, the Scottish National Party’s Shadow Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mr Angus Robertson MP has organised a series of meetings with top officials and representatives at the United Nations in New York today [Friday].

Over the course of the day, Mr Robertson will meet with:

* The UK’s deputy permanent representative at the UN, Mr Stewart Eldon.
* The Executive Director of the Office of the Iraq Programme, Mr Benon Sevan.
* The Executive Office of the Secretary-General, Mr Vladimir Gratchev.
* Assistant Secretary-General of the UN, Mr Chaveli.
* The Under Secretary-General of the Department of Political Affairs, Sir Keiran Prendergast.

Mr Robertson will take the opportunity of these meetings to stress the Scottish National Party’s strong support for the United Nations, and specifically the SNP belief that military action against Iraq cannot be morally justified without a new and specific mandate from the United Nations Security Council. He has already tabled a Motion to this effect in the House of Commons, which has been supported by 25 MPs from across parties – including the Labour MP for Halifax, Alice Mahon.

Speaking in advance of his discussions at the UN Headquarters in New York, Mr Robertson said:

“I warmly welcome this opportunity to meet with such senior officials at the United Nations – which represents unprecedented access for the Scottish National Party to key decision-makers.

“In the course of these meetings, I will stress the SNP’s strong support for the United Nations, and its role as the proper world authority.

“And I will also emphasise the SNP’s belief that offensive military action against Iraq cannot be morally or politically justified without a clear and specific UN Mandate, in the form of a new Security Council Resolution.

“At this extremely dangerous time – with conflict already raging in the Middle East, and the threat of a US/UK attack on Iraq – it is more important than ever for the leading role of the UN in international peace and security matters to be accepted throughout the world community, and acted upon.”

Ends.


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