First Minister leads Scottish Parliament in condemning Tory attacks on foreigners
SCOTLAND’S LEADING TORY should be “thoroughly ashamed” of her party’s xenophobic attacks at it’s party conference, according to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Sturgeon, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, and a host of MSPs directly challenged the Tory party for the attacks on international NHS staff, workers, and students.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson continued to dodge criticisms, claiming she had “made her position clear” at the conference.
Sturgeon slammed Davidson, stating that she should be “thoroughly ashamed of the xenophobic rhetoric she’s been surrounded by” at the conference. She called on the Tories to “stop using human beings as bargaining chips and give them the right to stay where they belong, here in Scotland”.
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“She wants control over immigration to stay with the xenophobes. I want it to come to this parliament,” Sturgeon added to the Tory MSP group.
Rennie also called on a humane and caring approach to EU negotiations, especially for friends and neighbours who have moved here from other countries.
Other MSPs lined up to join the condemnation of Tory xenophobia.
SNP MSP Christina McKelvie condemned the “most disgraceful display of reactionary, right wing politics in living memory” at Tory conference. Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer said the attacks were “hateful, disgusting rhetoric”, adding that the Tory proposal to list foreign workers was “sinister”.
Davidson described the issue of migration as raising “difficult but necessary debates” at the Tory conference in Birmingham.
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At the conference a series of Tory ministers, including Theresa May, Amber Rudd, Liam Fox and David Davis, attacked migrants’ right to live and work in the UK. Trade minister Liam Fox said that migrants who “consume the wealth of the country” aren’t welcome.
Millions of EU citizens have received no guarantee over their futures following the Brexit vote.
Hate crimes have surged since the UK vote to leave the EU.
Picture courtesy of Scottish Parliament TV
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