David Cameron has been criticised by the SNP for delivering a major speech on Scottish independence in London, rather than Scotland.
As the prime minister prepares to deliver a high profile speech at the Olympic Park in London pleading with Scotland to stay in the United Kingdom, he has faced stinging criticism from the SNP for failing to make the case in Scotland itself.
Declaring it to be a “cowardly speech”, deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon has commented:
“This is a cowardly speech from a prime minister who uses the Olympic Park in London to give high-handed lectures against Scotland’s independence but hasn’t got the guts to come to Scotland or anywhere else to make his case in a head-to-head debate.
“David Cameron, as the Tory prime minister, is the very embodiment of the democratic case for a Yes vote for an independent Scotland – and he knows it.”
She continued:
“Using the Olympic stadium on the day the Winter Olympics begin and seeking to invoke the successes of London 2012 as an argument against Scotland taking its future into its own hands, it betrays the extent of the jitters now running through the No campaign.
“They see the polls closing and they are clearly rattled – but to politicise any sporting occasion is shameful.”
Putting aside the SNP’s refusal to respond to the substance of the speech, Sturgeon’s word’s would probably have more weight if it wasn’t for the fact that the first minister will next month deliver a speech on independence in London himself.
Commenting ahead of the lecture to be delivered on the 4 March and hosted by the New Statesman, Alex Salmond has said:
“Scotland’s referendum is a unique and historic opportunity to deliver a fairer, more socially just and more prosperous society.
“I am looking forward to using this New Statesman lecture to outline how an independent Scotland will be both a progressive beacon and a powerful economic counterweight to the pull of London, which can help rebalance the social and economic structure across these islands which has seen the UK become one of the most unequal societies in the developed world.”
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14 Responses to “SNP attack Cameron London speech as ‘cowardly’”
Charles Addison
Laudable but no one bar you is offering it. Labour in scotland cant agree a policy without fighting. See the threats of non attendance at the party conference.
Ok, its late night David
David Lindsay
Who mentioned “Labour in Scotland”, if that is what it is now calling itself? The Labour MPs for Scottish seats are not even going to bother to attend its impending Conference, and who can blame them? No, no, Ed should just announce of this, and let that be that.
John
I’m sure you were every-so-pleased to finally get to type what reads distinctly like a prepared speech, but perhaps you could refer to the subject matter of this piece?
If this is a shatterpoint of social forces reaching back to before John MacLean, perhaps you can supply supporting evidence (or at least supporting arguments) rather than sweeping statements?
John
Why not both? Never mind the fact he’s a Tory; his policies have done bad things to good people, and good things to bad people. Kinda the opposite of what should be occuring.
As for the British National, I would feel better about him claiming that (or others using it to defend him) if he acted in Britains best intersts; so far all I’ve seen from his oppurtunism a (somewhat laudable in principle) dogged determination to maintain power and a ideological attack on Britains current social and economic set-up.
An heir to Blair indeed!