Leadership out of touch says duchess
ONE of the SNP’s most highprofile members is quitting the party over its ‘out-of-touch’ leadership.
The Dowager Duchess of Hamilton – a long-standing party member – announced yesterday she is cancelling her membership.
She said she believes there is a ‘stark disconnect’ between the SNP hierarchy and its members, as well as the Scottish public, particularly on the issue of animal welfare.
Kay Carmichael, widow of the 15th Duke – Scotland’s foremost peer – has also called for the resignation of Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing.
The duchess had been hoping to address SNP conference delegates on the issue of animal welfare in Aberdeen on Friday – as well as explaining her reasons for severing ties with the party, on stage.
But she was informed two days before travelling to the party’s spring conference to represent the SNP’s North Berwick branch that she would not be allowed to appear because her issue was not among the topics being raised on the day.
She said: ‘I am cancelling my membership as I believe there is now a stark disconnect between the upper echelons of the SNP and its members, especially on the issue of animal rights and welfare.
‘Indeed, on these matters, the disconnect also applies between this stratum of our party and the Scottish public.’
She added: ‘The fundamental basis of any political party should be the protection of the vulnerable, the defence of the defenceless and the championing of the voiceless. In recent times I feel this principle does not apply when it comes to animals.’
The First Minister and Mr Ewing both failed to acknowledge letters she sent to them earlier this year expressing concerns over the Scottish Government’s apparent reluctance to support a UK-wide ban on live animal exports after Brexit.
Now the duchess believes that, amid rising anger over animals suffering terrible health problems and death as they are taken in trucks across the continent, the SNP-led administration should implement the ban sooner rather than later.
She said: ‘Some changes have come, but after much delay by lawmakers. Had I spoken at conference I would have asked for the resignation of Fergus Ewing.
‘Society should be a place of safety and freedom for all, human and non-human. Those leading the SNP have neither the courage nor the inclination to ensure this.’