Marking end of WWI? It’s not important – MP
A NATIONALIST MP has been branded ‘petulant’ and ‘pathetic’ after suggesting that commemorating the centenary of the end of the First World War is not ‘a key issue affecting Scotland’. Alan Brown condemned a Labour politician for asking a question in Parliament about how the Church of England will commemorate the anniversary.
In a social media post, he wrote: ‘Scottish Labour MP identifies a key issue affecting Scotland...’
But Mr Brown, who represents Kilmarnock and Loudon, was quickly criticised by colleagues and Twitter users for the ‘pathetic’ comment.
He made the remark after Midlothian MP Danielle Rowley lodged a question for an MP representing Church of England Commissioners. She asked what plans the church had to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War, marked on November 11.
After Mr Brown’s post, Labour MP Paul Sweeney, who represents Glasgow North East, said: ‘SNP parochialism writ large here.
‘There isn’t a military cemetery in Europe that doesn’t have Scots, English, Welsh and Irish soldiers lying next to one another.
‘They fought together in a common cause. It’s important we come together to commemorate the centenary of the armistice.’ Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: ‘This sort of petulant and classless tweet is commonplace among the SNP representatives in Westminster.
‘The 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War should be an opportunity to bring people together, not one for scoring divisive political points.
‘This tweet was needless and pathetic and should be removed.’
Responding to Mr Brown, one Twitter user posted: ‘Your snarky tweet says so much more about you than it does about Danielle.
‘Hope you work on your clearly disdainful, disrespectful attitude before turning up to any remembrance events in Kilmarnock.
‘Or won’t you be attending as it’s not important enough for you?’
Another wrote: ‘Twenty-six per cent of Scots who went off to fight for our tomorrows never returned – 850 from Kilmarnock never returned and you think remembering them isn’t important?! Shame on you.’
Last night, Mr Brown said: ‘My tweet was questioning the use of parliamentary time by a Scottish Labour MP who was seeking information about the Church of England, and to imply I have been disrespectful to those who have lost their lives in the First World War is deeply insulting.’