Greens from Germany to Poland are coming to Glasgow to help Scotland retain full EU membership
THE EUROPEAN Green Party (EGP) will hold its 25th council meeting in Glasgow where Green MSPs, MEPs and European politicians will discuss Scotland’s place in Europe following the Brexit vote in June.
Billed as Scotland’s largest pro-European gathering since the UK’s vote to leave the EU on June 23, the event will be attended by Scottish Greens’ co-convener Patrick Harvie and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who have both held a hardline on Scotland's membership of the single market.
German MEP and European Green Reinhard Bütikofer has also expressed his view that Europeans should do all they can to “resist Brexit” and aid Scotland in its pro-EU intentions.
“European Greens are coming to Glasgow to show our solidarity with the Scottish people, to resist Brexit and to hold on to Scottish full membership in the European family.” Reinhard Bütikofer
Bütikofer, who is also EGP co-chairperson, said: “European Greens are coming to Glasgow in order to show our solidarity with the determination of the Scottish people to resist Brexit and to hold on to Scottish full membership in the European family.”
Scotland voted to remain by 62 per cent of the vote, in the EU referendum, with the UK voting to leave by 52 per cent. During the jostling for post-Brexit negotiations, Sturgeon has been seeking support from several politicians in Europe including German ministers for Scotland to continue its relationship with the EU. She is in Dublin today (28 Novemeber) to address the Irish Parliament in a bid to gain more support from the Irish Government for future negotiations.
Patrick Harvie MSP has stated that the event will show the size of the Green party’s “extensive network” around Europe and how it can work with other political parties inside Scotland and in Europe to campaign for Scotland to maintain it’s membership.
“As Greens, we have an extensive network of politicians and campaigners across the continent who share our goal of staying in Europe.” Patrick Harvie
He said: “The Scottish Greens and our wider movement in the European Green Party are playing a leading role in the campaign to maintain Scotland’s place in Europe. We recognise the need to work with other political parties, campaign groups and individuals who want the referendum result in Scotland, where an overwhelming number of people voted to Remain, to be respected.
“As Greens, we have an extensive network of politicians and campaigners across the continent who share our goal of staying in Europe that we can tap into and we look forward to hearing from them in Glasgow. Instead of merely commenting from the side lines, and accepting that Scotland should be dragged out of the European Union, we invite other like-minded parties to join us in offering solutions to the uncertainty being caused by Brexit.”
The event will take place in Glasgow on Friday December 2.
Picture courtesy of European Parliament
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