Critics round on Scottish Tory leader after immigration claims
AN SNP MP has claimed Ruth Davidson knows Brexit could ruin the Scottish economy, after the Scottish Tory leader criticised the UK Government’s immigration reduction target.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Davidson questioned her own party’s manifesto commitment of reducing net migration figures to below 100,000.
“Brexit threatens to be economically disastrous for Scotland, and it seems Ruth Davidson is only now waking up to that fact. “ Stuart McDonald MP
Stuart McDonald MP, the SNP’s spokesperson on Immigration, responding to Davidson’s comments, said: “Brexit threatens to be economically disastrous for Scotland, and it seems Ruth Davidson is only now waking up to that fact.
“But the person who needs to be persuaded is her boss in Downing Street, Theresa May – and the PM shows no sign of ditching her reckless pursuit of a hard Brexit.
“These comments also follow a whole series of U-turns on Brexit from Davidson – first she said the case for leaving the EU was based on ‘lies’, then she claimed that single market membership should be our ‘overriding priority,’ before becoming a cheerleader for the Tories’ hard Brexit.”
The Scottish Tory leader also claimed Brexit is a “big reset button” that should allow the UK Government to realise its target of migration rates to the “tens of thousands”, but she queried whether this was wise.
She said: “But we have to ask whether the target continues to be the right one?”Before pointing out economic growth faced “even greater limitations.”
Davidson, a strong Remain supporter in the lead up to the referendum last June, called for a “grown up conversation” on migration. She also called for international students to be omitted from immigration figures, after a poll showed a majority were in favour of this move.
“The Tories are in open warfare and these comments from Ruth Davidson show just deep the splits in the party run.” Paul Sweeney MP
In response to Davidson’s migration claims a spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Ruth is the leader of the party, so we back her on that.”
But critics have hit out, claiming the Scottish Tories are on a collision course with their English counterparts.
Labour’s Shadow Scotland Office Minister Paul Sweeney said: “The Tories are in open warfare and these comments from Ruth Davidson show just how deep the splits in the party run.
“When the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, who defends abhorrent policies such as the rape clause, tells Theresa May that she needs to think again then you know just how wrong the Prime Minister is.”
Picture courtesy of (Mick Baker) rooster.
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