Tory MSP slams Citizens’ Assembly
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A MORAY Conservative has written off the Scottish Government's Citizens’ Assembly as a "taxpayer-funded talking shop".
Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said the assembly was a pointless distraction from what should be the real work of the Scottish Government.
Mr Halcro Johnston spoke out after the remit of the assembly was published by SNP ministers yesterday.
Scotland’s Citizens’ Assembly will recruit a "mini-public" of up to 130 over-16s through face-to-face screening interviews held door to door across the country. The aim is to reflect a broad range across location, age, gender, ethnicity, disability, education and views. People will not be asked directly about independence.
Mr Halcro Johnston said: "The last thing the people of Moray need is a taxpayer-funded talking shop designed to further the SNP’s obsession with independence.
"People here are concerned about the state of our education system, about whether they can get an appointment with a GP, how we can attract young people to stay and work here and how local transport links are supported.
"No one is the slightest bit interested in yet more debates about the constitution – which is clearly what this so-called assembly is all about judging by the comments of some SNP politicians."
The Citizens' Assembly will consider: what kind of country we seek to build; how best to overcome the challenges Scotland and the world face in the 21st century, including those arising from Brexit; and what further work should be carried out to give us the information we need to make informed choices about the future of the country.
The independent conveners are former Labour MEP David Martin and third sector leader Kate Wimpress.
Mr Halcro Johnston said he was very unimpressed by the choice of its two conveners.
"The people selected are a Labour politician who failed to be re-elected to the European Parliament a few months ago, and someone who runs an arts organisation in Edinburgh.
"No doubt they are competent people, but what on earth have they to do with the concerns of the people I represent across the Highlands and Islands?"
The conveners fought off criticism at a press conference yesterday that the assembly was a talking shop to further the nationalist agenda.
Mr Martin voiced his hopes that the assembly would help to heal Scotland's communities after two referendums.
He said: "In Scotland and the UK we are now in the position where a lot of people just do not tolerate other people’s points of view."
