As Westminster votes to trigger Article 50 by a majority of 384, Livingston MP makes passionate plea for Scotland’s remain voice to be heard
WESTMINSTER saw an unusual parliamentary oration last night (1 February), as SNP MP Hannah Bardell gave a unique and tweaked rendition of a speech from the cult classic film Trainspotting, to criticise the Tories for their hard Brexit position.
The adaptation from Irvine Welsh’s novel, used in the film’s famous ‘choose life’ monologue, was deployed by Bardell to question why Scotland was being “dragged out of the EU against its will.”
After the performance MPs backed the government’s European Union Bill by 498 votes to 114 with only one Scottish MP, Conservative David Mundell, voting in favour.
SNP’s Hannah Bardell’s passionate ‘Trainspotting’ style pro EU speech from Untied_Kingdom on Vimeo
Speaking to MPs in the House of Commons chamber, Bardell said: “Choose Brexit. Choose making up numbers from thin-air about the NHS and plastering them on the side of buses.
“Choose racist and xenophobic sentiments seeping out from some corners of the Leave campaign.
“Choose hate crime rising by over 40% and LGBT hate crime by 150% in England and Wales following the Brexit vote. Choose taking the people of our nations to the polls on one of the most important issues of a generation with nothing written down and no plan.
“Choose the great Brexit power grab, taking back control of straight bananas. Choose returning to the Thatcher era of poverty and austerity.
“Choose the UK turning its back on Europe.
The monologue, originally delivered by actor Ewan McGregor in the 1996 film, called on viewers to “Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family”.
Today (Thursday 2 February) will see the UK Government publish its Brexit white paper, which is expected to lay out plans for a hard Brexit.
Picture courtesy of Vimeo
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