Yes supporters descend on Scottish Conservative conference in Glasgow as Tory party defies Nicola Sturgeon’s warning of another referendum
SUPPORTERS of Scottish Independence gathered outside the Scottish Tory conference today (Saturday 4 March) to protest the party’s stance that it will resist a second independence referendum in Holyrood and ensure Scotland leaves the EU with the UK.
The gathering of approximately 230 arrived following the first day of the conference yesterday (Friday 3 March), which saw UK Prime Minister Theresa May declare to the Scottish conference that her party were the standard bearers of unionism.
However, last night the UK Government and Tory party suffer a destabilising blow following the count of the northern Ireland elections which currently look like returning a reduced unionist vote and a boost for nationalists Sinn Féin.
Despite the conference was awash with statements from local council candidates and Scottish Tory deputy Jackson Carlaw declaring that the party would fight ti block a second independence referendum. There has also been pressure brought to bear on Theresa May by the her party to make moves to block a Scottish referendum vote through the process of Section 30 where it suggested that the Scottish Government must strike an agreement with the UK Government on holding a poll, which UK ministers say is technically a “reserved action.”
Gwen Sinclair, a spokesperson for Scottish CND, told CommonSpace: “It’s the reason I’m here. It’s the reason I want independence. It’s because we need to get rid of these nuclear weapons and independence is the only way we can do it. And the only Scottish MP, the only man who voted for nuclear weapons [David Mundell] is speaking in that building.”
A cordon and human line of 32 police officers separated the protestors from the entrance of the conference with campaigners shouting “Don’t you dare!” at delegates and politicians. This was in reference to the idea touted by some delegates that the Scottish Tories would either encourage the UK Government, their parent party, to block a second referendum or take legal action to complicate a Holyrood vote.
Speaking to CommonSpace Fiona Robertson, a disability activist in Aberdeen, who works with Disabled people against cuts (DPAC) and the Black Triangle spoke about the effect of Tory austerity on the disable in Scotland.
Gwen Sinclair of @ScottishCND tells @TheCommonSpace why she’s paying the Scottish Tory conference a visit #scraptrident #indyref2 pic.twitter.com/Z2JXsr8WGD
— Robert J Somynne (@RobertJSomynne) March 4, 2017
She said: “All this [austerity] has been possible because of a systematic change in rhetoric in the government and the media which has also led to skyrocketing hate crimes against disabled people. We are lucky, in Scotland, because the Scottish Government under the SNP has taken what steps it can to protect us – the Independent Living Fund, which was dismantled in the UK, has been replaced up here by the Scottish Independent Living Fund, and the Scottish Welfare Fund pays what it can to offset the Bedroom Tax, which disproportionately targets disabled people. But we are still dying, and we will be as long as we are at the mercy of this government.”
When asked for comment on any of issues raised by the protestors the Scottish Tories declined.
Now that the Scottish Tory conference is over, all eyes will turn to first the Scottish Greens who are to have their conference in Glasgow on March 11 and then the SNP who will hold their Aberdeen gathering on March 17 to 18.
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