Halcro Johnston accuses Brexit candidate of betraying unionists
Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston has accused a Brexit Party candidate in the forthcoming European Parliament elections of “a betrayal of unionist voters”.
Louis Stedman-Bryce, the leading candidate for Nigel Farage’s new party north of the border, apparently said he didn’t feel it was right to “stand in their way” if the SNP government demanded a re-run of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Mr Johnston, a Tory list MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said the comments were a betrayal of those who supported Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom.
He said: “Here in Shetland, and elsewhere across the north of Scotland, people voted solidly in favour of keeping Scotland in the United Kingdom, and the great majority would be appalled at the prospect of re-running the independence referendum.
“These comments from Mr Stedman-Bryce show just how out of touch the Brexit Party is with majority of Scottish voters, and how indifferent they are to the concerns of unionist voters.
“It is important that unionist voters don’t allow themselves to be misled by the Brexit Party; a party which does not share their priorities and clearly won’t stand up to [Scottish First Minister] Nicola Sturgeon’s plans to break up the United Kingdom.
“The only party which actually believes we should respect the result of both referendums is the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. We want to see Scotland, as part of the UK, leave the EU, and we don’t want the uncertainty of more referendums.”
James J Paton
Mr Halcro Johnston has a very poor grip on recent Tory Government behaviour – supporting/ allowing both Scottish Independence and EU membership referenda.
As Private Fraser would have said, ‘The man’s an idiot.’ Has he anything interesting, let alone sensible, to say?
The Conservative factional right spawned UKIP, now Brexit and it’s own ( Tory) remained ERS in ERG splinter group – Boris, Rees Mogg etc.
Even I cannot bring myself to vote Brexit Party as much ad I want a WTO rules Brexit, which will put EU on the trade and tariff negotiation back foot.
On the meaningless EU Parliamentary elections ( other for them to be a EU referendum re-run) , as a Green Party member ‘Leaver’, I find myself having to tactically vote Labour for a sensible (?) Customs Union Brexit, knowing none of the elected MEPs will ever sit.