McLeod votes against Trident as Labour sit on their hands

 

Dr McLeod commented:

 

“I was pleased to support the Scottish Government’s motion establishing the Scottish Parliament’s opposition to the Trident system, any replacement to Trident and nuclear weapons in general. In taking that position, the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government are joined by 80% of the Scottish people according to recent opinion polling.

 

“The debate was crucial and allowed MSPs to send a clear message to the Westminster anti-independence parties that weapons of mass destruction are not wanted here in Scotland.

 

“I am proud that the Scottish Parliament has demonstrated once again that it speaks for the people of Scotland.”

 

“Johann Lamont and the labour leadership in Scotland should hang their heads in shame. There was nothing in the motion they couldn’t have voted for and there was no mention of independence in the motion – so they can’t make that excuse.

 

“Labour’s attack on the suggestion that proposing to instead spend the hundreds of millions of pounds saved from Trident on tackling child poverty, investing in education or in infrastructure is deeply offensive – and sums up the anti-independence parties’ complete lack of ambition for Scotland.

 

“It is now clear that only a Yes vote in next year’s independence referendum can rid Scotland of nuclear weapons, allowing us to invest the hundreds of millions of pounds saved in helping to build a fair society and strong economy.”

 

Ends.

 

Notes to Editors:

 

The text of the Scottish Government’s motion is below:

 

Motion S4M-05988: Keith Brown, Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 18/03/2013 Trident That the Parliament acknowledges the devastating humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons; endorses the Secretary-General of the United Nations’s five-point plan for nuclear disarmament; calls on the UK Government to acknowledge the opposition of the Scottish Parliament to nuclear weapons and to the presence of Trident in Scotland, and further calls on the UK Government to explore options for the removal of Trident ahead of the so-called main gate decision in 2016.