The Edinburgh Reporter
10 POLITICS
Ian Murray for Deputy Leader
PHOTO John Preece
Heather is MEP for three days The European Parliament officially recognised the SNP’s Heather Anderson as Scotland’s newest MEP just three days before the UK left the EU. The appointment came after Alyn Smith stood down from the European Parliament in order to take up his post as Westminster MP for Stirling. The appointment also meant that four of Scotland’s six MEPs voted against Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, a proportion which reflects the referendum result in Scotland. The European Parliament voted on the Withdrawal Agreement on 29 January 2020. Ms Anderson said: “I’m delighted
to be taking up my post, if only for a few days. “The people of Scotland resoundingly rejected Brexit at the referendum and have underlined that position at every subsequent election. It’s therefore important that a full complement of Scotland’s MEPs is in place to register that view in the parliamentary record. “We know that the UK is leaving the EU at the end of this week. Scotland has a clear route back however – and I hope to be able to return to Brussels in the not so distant future to resume work as an MEP for an independent member state.”
Scotland's only Labour MP, Ian Murray MP, launched his campaign for the party's deputy leadership role last month at his former school, Wester Hailes Education Centre. Mr Murray said : "We must reach out and listen to every corner of this country and every person in our country." “Our party can only win by winning support across the whole of the United Kingdom, by building a coalition of all types of people with a variety of interests.” He added that the Labour party must not become "a party of perpetual opposition", but must be seen as "credible opposition". He continued : “I’m embarrassed about the cancer of antisemitism
in our party. "As deputy leader I will ensure a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and antisemitism." “I will take personal responsibility for the grievance and complaints process, and I will be held responsible for enforcing that zero-tolerance approach." He added: “Never again do I want any Jewish person to feel that they do not have a home in the Labour Party, that they can’t trust us to do the right thing, or that they feel our party would make the country a more dangerous place for them." The ballots for Leader and Deputy Leader open on 21 February, with the results announced on 4th April 2020.
Threat to Edinburgh Festivals The Edinburgh Pentlands MSP, Gordon MacDonald, asked The Scottish Government “what impact the Tory government’s plans to impose further restrictions on EU workers coming to Scotland will have on our internationally acclaimed festivals.” He has asked this often before. Festival organisers have previously described the visa process for performers who want to appear at Edinburgh arts festivals as “humiliating” and “Kafkaesque”. In response the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Fiona Hyslop, highlighted that the additional restrictions on people to coming to this country will affect both artists and visitors. She said that the “attitude of the
UK Government and its attitude towards Europe will affect how people see this country”. Mr MacDonald has repeatedly highlighted the “devastating” impact that the UK government’s hostile environment has had on the ability to attract international guests to Edinburgh’s festivals. In a Members’ Debate that he led last year, Mr MacDonald argued that since the Tory government introduced hard-line visa controls, visa applications for performers have been hit by refusals, errors and delays, with some acclaimed international writers, actors and musicians forced to cancel trips to festivals across the capital. He has now written to the UK government to raise these additional concerns for the future
of the capital’s festivals. Mr MacDonald, said: “The Edinburgh Festivals are world class and have enormous cultural and economic benefits, not only for our capital, but for Scotland. “The success of the Festivals rely on the seamless flow of artists and people from across the world - something that the Tory government seem intent on preventing. “For years now, artists have been deterred from coming here because of the UK government’s humiliating application process and their current obsession with a hard Brexit looks like it is going to make this situation worse. “The UK government need to open their eyes to the damage they are causing to our festivals.”
Miles Briggs MSP Get in touch today! For editorial and advertising enquiries please email editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk @EdinReporter
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