Stop playing political games, Carmichael told
The Northern Isles MP has been told to “stop playing political games” and get behind Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.
That was the call from Highlands and Islands Conservative list MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston after a new agreement was reached between the UK government and the EU for the United Kingdom’s orderly withdrawal from the European Union.
Mr Halcro Johnston said: “For months now Alistair Carmichael, and other opposition MPs, have been warning against the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal.
“Now, despite the Prime Minister and his team, against the odds, negotiating a new deal which avoids that scenario, Alistair Carmichael and the Liberal Democrats are threatening to vote it down.
“This amounts to an act of political vandalism which would destroy trust in our democracy, as well as disrespecting the views of the 17.4 million people who voted for Brexit, not to mention the more than 9,000 people who voted leave in Orkney and Shetland.
“It also ignores the position of organisations like the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, NFU Scotland, the FSB and others who want this deal passed.
“And yet all Alistair Carmichael and the Lib Dems can offer is another referendum – the result of which their leader has said she won’t accept – and years of more division.
“Even many of those who voted remain want this deal done and Brexit sorted. The country is yearning to unite and to move on, and they won’t forgive those who unnecessarily prolong the uncertainty.
“Alistair Carmichael should stop playing political games with the future of the country and back the deal.”
Bruce Smith
Yes. Very good letter all round . And hope the ones that vote against the brexit deal will get voted out
Peter Hamilton
This Tory MSP’s game is to pretend our MP should do something harmful to his constituents because the majority of voters in another country once thought they desired it.
We can’t tell our doctors what pills to give us. Their first ethical duty is to do no harm.
MPs have a right and a responsibility to use their own judgement. That is a vital part of our parliamentary democracy. The desperate-for-some-name-recognition, game-playing Tory MSP, Jamie Halcro Johnson, knows this fine well.
David Spence
As far as I can see, Brexit is nothing more than to distance ourselves from the EU, and to have a trade deal (under US terms and conditions) with the USA.
This will, in turn, justify the privatisation of most government responsibilties and duties of care going to US companies where the Tories will benefit as shareholders of such companies.
It does not make economic sense to withdraw our markets in the EU, for the sake of other markets within the USA. It is not only this, but the tax payer will foot the bill for negotiating trade with the USA, where, as mentioned, it will be under the USA’s control, terms and conditions.
The tax payer will also foot the bill for any trade deal arrangement where the USA will benefit immensely with a ‘ forced to take it or leave it ‘ scenario for the UK citizen.
Meanwhile, the Tories will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of making a kill economically, whilst the rest of us suffer under the austerity of an USA based economy where profit and greed are the priorities regardless to any suffering this may cause.
Charles L. Gallagher
As the 32 Electoral Areas of Scotland voted REMAIN I’m content for Alistair to follow the instructions of his Electorate and vote AGAINST BREXIT, unlike the 13 Tory MP’s who will be voting against the wishes of their electorate. Get real Mt Johnson.
Ali Inkster
Those 13 tory MPs were elected after both referendums went against you and were voted in on the ticket of getting Brexit done.
Ian Tinkler
So they did Charles. The majority also voted to stay in the UK. Now get over it, sometimes a referendum may not go your way. It is a democracy thing!
Stuart Hannay
Interesting times. Boris Johnson seemed almost happy to have sabotaged his deal with the the unrealistic timescales he set. The election will be interesting when it comes. Judging by my murky paddlings in the comments section of various newspapers, there’s a push to identify Corbyn as the biggest threat. Realistically, however, I think that Johnson has the unenviable task of uniting Brexit Party supporters, hard-brexit ERG supporters and moderate Conservatives who do not entirely trust him. This could just as easily lead to a broadly pro-left, pro-remain parliament as one that has a majority for a hard brexit.
Anne Gair
I would prefer if MP’s would listen to their electorate, after all, we put them in the position to vote the way we say, we need people in those positions to do our bidding, not theirs! I’m not content for Alistair Carmichael to speak for me. 17.4 million people voted to leave and my family were part of that number. I’m all for a referendum, but to stay with the EU is out of the question. They have been fleecing our country from day 1, we need OUR country back. This deal that the Tories have means our armed forces can be called on to fight, to be deployed where ever the EU wants to go to war, we have NO SAY IN THIS. Do we really want another country running our affairs? TIME TO TAKE BACK WHAT IS OURS. We as a country have always been resilient and able to look after ourselves! We need to take OUR PRIDE BACK and let the rest of the world know WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
Peter Hamilton
Stuart is right, except the Conservatives now believe in magical money trees. All the money they would not tax and spend during the era of austerity they are now willing to borrow and spend to ease in Brexit. So what was all the pain of austerity for? And did anyone notice the richest 20% getting poorer?
Boris stands a good chance of bribing himself to a win with money the poorest 80% will yet have to repay. Not a problem if you are born into serious money of course, as the self-serving puppet masters behind this Tory Brexit largely were.
Britain already has the best possible deal, and that is inside the E.U. cooperating with our friends and neighbours to address the larger problems. It is not great for our fishermen of course, but they could be doing worse. If Boris gets his way the rest of the country soon will be. The everyday cost of living will rise and rise. That’s not such a problem for most Conservatives of course.
ian tinkler
Love it, Peter Hamilton. You claim, If the majority vote Conservative, “The everyday cost of living will rise and rise. That’s not such a problem for most Conservatives”!!. So what you are really saying if we were all Conservatives and voted for Boris, the price of living would rise but that would be no problem because all Conservative voters would be wealthy enough in any case under a Boris Governement. Outstanding!!!!
A real bit of Socialist logic, As Churchill once said, ““Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
Peter Hamilton
Anne seems to have it that we can’t cooperate militarily with our neighbours and have any pride. Its like Britain alone won WW2.
She is worried European military cooperation would force us into war, and asks: “do we really want another country running our affairs”?
The UK’s “independent” nuclear missiles come with a high level of American involvement. Britain, the USA and a great many of our European neighbours are members of NATO, but NATO would never go to war without America’s agreement.
Britain’s ability to stand with America alone at times (Iraq), and with America and Europe together, has, rightly or wrongly, been valued. There may yet be times when we’d want to cooperate with our closer neighbours without America’s support.
There’s no loss of pride involved in being able to speedily mobilise larger numbers of troops in support of shared European goals. What is gained is freedom from America’s veto.
We shouldn’t want America running British foreign policy, but that is just what the people promoting Anne’s line of argument long for.
Full independence from the USA and Europe really cannot be. But that’s not how Nigel Farage’s jingoistic claptrap packages it. His simplistic solutions threaten us all.