Moray MP slams Minister for Independence appointment
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THE appointment of a dedicated Minister for Independence has been slammed by Moray's Tory MP.
Following the announcement of the new post, Douglas Ross MP has said “the huge challenges” facing Moray and the whole of Scotland should be the focus of First Minister Humza Yousaf.
Mr Ross has hit out after Humza Yousaf’s ministerial appointments confirmed a dedicated role for Jamie Hepburn MSP to be the Minister for Independence, on a near £100,000 a year salary.
He went on to state that it showed Mr Yousaf’s priorities are all wrong and he is already proving a more divisive figure than Nicola Sturgeon.
The MP has demanded that the SNP-Green government should be relentlessly focused on restoring maternity services at Dr Gray’s, dualling the A96, vastly improving broadband and mobile connectivity and ensuring that vital public services remain located in rural and remote areas.
He added that the people of Moray have no wish to be divided all over again and are more worried right now about the cost-of-living crisis, strengthening the local economy and the state of public services.
Mr Ross said: “In his first week Humza Yousaf has shown he has the wrong priorities for Moray and Scotland.
"Appointing a dedicated Minister for Independence shows where his priorities lie.
"They are all wrong and show how out-of-touch the new First Minister is with the priorities of the people and communities I represent here in Moray.
“This minister will be on a near six-figure salary during a cost-of-living crisis, all because Humza Yousaf and the SNP cannot drop their obsession with another divisive referendum.
“The real priorities of Moray are going to be ignored as the First Minister and his bloated team of ministers focus on pushing for independence in any way they can.
“Instead they should be relentlessly focused on finally restoring consultant-led services at Dr Gray’s Hospital, getting on with fully dualling the A96, vastly improving broadband and mobile connectivity and ensuring that vital services remain located in our rural and remote communities in Moray.
“People in Moray are not focused on pushing for another referendum. They want Humza Yousaf and the SNP-Green government to be outlining how they will tackle the cost-of-living crisis, support the local economy and protect our vital public services.
“Having a dedicated minister for independence shows that will always be the top priority for the SNP, no matter what major challenges are facing us in Moray.”
However, Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead hit back, saying despite Mr Humza only being in the job for a very short time he has already being taking action to help local people and communities.
He continued: “Humza Yousaf has been First Minister for less than a week and has already taken action to treble funding to support households in fuel poverty, to increase access to childcare, as well as announcing a further £25 million to support a just transition for Moray and the north-east.
“Our new First Minister and the SNP government are getting on with the day job and doing all they can to support households through the Tory cost of living crisis. I’d encourage Moray’s Tory MP to do likewise and would suggest he could start by lobbying his UK government colleagues to deliver a serious package of support to cut people’s bills and to boost incomes.
“Meanwhile, the Scottish Government will make no apologies for having a Minister for Independence, when the union dividend for energy rich Scotland is households across the country being plunged into fuel poverty. Independence will allow us to unlock Scotland’s potential and create an economy that works for the people.”
Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP MSP Karen Adam accused Mr Ross of using "deeply misleading figures" going on to say that the Scottish Government were going "above and beyond" for Moray.
She continued: “Douglas Ross has been deeply misleading in the figures he’s provided in his press release about the cost of Scottish Government ministers. He is well aware that MSP’s are paid an annual salary of £67,662 to serve the people we represent in our constituencies and in Parliament. Ministers are paid an additional £31,854 for the extra duties and responsibilities that come with their government brief so he should be honest about the costings.
“The point that Douglas Ross misses when he complains about Scottish independence, dualling of the A96, restoring maternity services at Dr Gray's, and improving broadband and mobile connectivity is that these issues are interwoven with the case for Scotland becoming an independence country. With independence we’d have the full and comprehensive ability to set our own recruitment and immigration policies, and prioritise all of our own spending to roll out and implement these initiatives.
"Decisions made for Scotland should be made by the people living in Scotland. Instead, we have a UK government that continues to use our country as a cash cow without proper reinvestment back into our communities.
“In terms of Dr Gray's, the Scottish Government are going above and beyond to support the reinstatement of services here, recently announcing £6.6 million in funding for maternity services. It has to be crystal clear though that the national labour shortage – caused by UK government incompetence – has meant colossal challenges in recruitment which has led to pressures on public services and the staff working in those sectors, particularly in rural areas.
"Douglas Ross may not like this fact because it does not show the Conservative Party or UK government in a good light, but all of these things are interwoven and connected. Reserved policy at UK level has a huge impact on Scotland but we remain almost powerless until we get independence because it is clear, Scotland has never been the top priority of the Conservatives or the UK government.
“Only with the powers of independence will Scotland ever be free to fully set our own priorities to ensure proper reinvestment into our communities and services.”
