Jardine writes to Scottish Secretary over “violent and divisive” rhetoric
Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine MP has today written to the Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, challenging him to speak out against the violent rhetoric of the Prime Minister and to initiate a discussion about such behaviour at the next Cabinet meeting.
Commenting on the letter Ms Jardine said:”I would hope that the Secretary of State shares my sense of outrage at the language and tone we have seen in recent days. I am appealing to him as Scotland’s representative in the cabinet to urge some civility at such an important time for the country.”
Ms Jardine’s letter is as follows:
Dear Secretary of State for Scotland,
I am writing to urge you to speak out in condemnation of violent and divisive rhetoric in public life and to raise this issue and discuss it with your Cabinet colleagues at its next meeting.
This week the Commons Speaker told MPs that the atmosphere in the chamber the previous night had been “worse than any I’ve known in my 22 years in the House”.
This comes on the heels of a speech in which the Prime Minister suggested that the best way to honour our murdered colleague Jo Cox was to “get Brexit done” and comments from the Prime Minister dismissing the concerns of a female MPs over rising death threats as “humbug”. While Parliament will always be a place of robust debate, it should not be one of casual cruelty and dangerous irresponsibility.
Over the past week, there has been a spike in abuse of parliamentarians both online and in person. Colleagues have received death threats using many of the same terms that the Prime Minister and his advisers have deployed.
I hope that you will raise this issue in Cabinet and discuss it with your cabinet colleagues. The Prime Minister has a duty to take some of the heat and acrimony out of British politics. The alternative is too grim to contemplate.
Yours sincerely,
Christine Jardine
MP for Edinburgh West
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
