SNP ‘exploiting air strikes stance for independence’
Row as party denies using Commons vote to further divisions within the UK
THE SNP is facing an angry backlash from political opponents who have accused the party of using the vote on air strikes in Syria to further the cause of independence.
Labour, Conservative and LibDem politicians accused the Nationalists – whose MPs unanimously rejected David Cameron’s case for bombing Islamic State (IS) – of using the vote to fuel divisions between Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Politicians reacted furiously to claims by Alex Salmond that Tony Benn, the late father of Labour’s shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn, would be “birling in his grave” over his son’s support for air strikes.
They also condemned Angus Robertson, the SNP’s Westminster leader, for citing a self-selecting online survey to claim opposition to air strikes was significantly stronger in Scotland than England.
Ian Murray, Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary, said Mr Salmond’s remarks were “utterly repulsive” and added: “For the SNP, playing politics and independence always comes first.”
The row came as RAF Typhoon jets took off from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray to take part in operations over Syria.
British forces were last night gearing up for further attacks against IS following the first wave of strikes within hours of the Commons vote for military action on Wednesday night.
Last night, the First Minister’s chief political spokesman denied the momentous Commons decision amounted to a “material change in circumstances” that justified a second independence referendum.
Mr Salmond made his comments about Mr Benn during a radio interview, backing an earlier message on Twitter by SNP MP George Kerevan.
His comments were denounced by Tony Benn’s granddaughter, Emily Benn, who tweeted: “Mr Salmond, your comments are both deeply offensive and simply untrue. I hope you reflect and retract them.”
There was anger, too, at Mr Robertson’s claim that 72 per cent of Scots opposed air strikes.
The claim was based on an unscientific online survey and was sharply at odds with the most recent opinion poll, by YouGov, which suggested 44 per cent of Scots backed air strikes compared with 48 per cent of people across the UK as a whole.
YouGov found 41 per cent of Scots were opposed, compared with 31 one per cent across the UK.
Mr Robertson was also criticised for complaining about the deployment of the Lossiemouth-based fighter jets.
The MP launched an SNP membership drive on social media following the vote and yesterday the party opened an online “Don’t bomb Syria” petition on its website.
The petition promptly attracted 80,000 signatures.
SNP business convener Derek Mackay said the decision to strike at IS targets had been made “despite the support of just two of Scotland’s 59 MPs”.
He claimed it had “been met with public disapproval across Scotland”.
His words were echoed by Nicola Sturgeon.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions, she sent her good wishes to service personnel engaged in air strikes.
But she added: “I remain deeply troubled by the decision of the UK Government to take the country into conflict with no strategy, no exit plan and against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Scotland’s MPs.”
Mr Murray, who voted against air strikes, said: “This is too important an issue to play petty politics with, but that is exactly what some SNP MPs have done.
“To use a dead parent to score cheap points is utterly repulsive. This is dreadful behaviour coming from the very top of the SNP and it must stop.”
He added: “The SNP leader at Westminster, and member of the National Security Council, was trying to sign up members to his party within minutes of the vote.
“It doesn’t seem to matter what the issue is, how important it is, for the SNP playing politics and independence always comes first.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: “Using such an important issue for political score pointing is
disgraceful. But this is what we have come to expect from the Nationalists. A group of hardline separatists who use every opportunity, no matter how sensitive, to promote their own political ends.”
Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: “The SNP will use anything, voodoo ‘polling’ included, to advance their independence obsession.
“The issue of air strikes in Syria and global terrorism is far more important than this obsession.”
Asked whether the vote marked a change in circumstances that justified a second independence referendum, the First Minister’s chief political spokesman said: “No, I wouldn’t say that. But what it does demonstrate is that as long as Scotland is represented at Westminster, the entirety of Scottish MPs can vote a certain way on an important issue like this and Scotland’s voice will still be drowned out by voices from elsewhere.”
UK fighter jets will be in Syria for the long haul David Cameron warned on the first day of bombing against Islamic State (IS) militants in the country.
As planes departed RAF Lossiemouth in Moray the Prime Minister said that efforts to degrade the terrorist group would “take time”.
The first Tornado fighter jets left the RAF’s base in Cyprus heading for Syria within an hour of the Commons vote authorising action on Wednesday night.
Another six Typhoons are understood to have left Scotland bound for Cyprus.
Mr Cameron described the action against IS, which was prompted by the Paris attacks last month, as “necessary”.
But he warned that the intervention would require the UK to be “patient and persistent”.
“This is going to take time,” he said.
“It is complex, it is difficult what we are asking our pilots to do, and our thoughts should be with them and their families.”
The move was welcomed by the French foreign affairs minister Laurent Fabius who said: “The UK is signalling its determination to combat (IS).
“A fortnight after the 13 November attacks, this is a concrete demonstration of solidarity with our country.”
Mr Cameron’s plan to attack IS in Syria was back by 66 Labour MPs, who ignored the pleas of their leader Jeremy Corbyn to oppose further military action giving the Conservative government a majority of 174.
But many MPs rejected the Conservative leader’s call for action, including the SNP and dozens of Labour backbenchers.
Mr Cameron defended the action saying that there would be “strong support” from the UK’s allies including France and from “Muslim countries, Gulf countries, that have asked us to take part in this action as part of a process that will help to deliver the political and diplomatic change that we need in Syria as well.”
The first raids overnight saw four Tornados target the large Omar oil field in eastern Syria close to the border with Iraq.
Allied forces believe that IS uses the sale of oil from the area to help finance around a 10th its operations.
The Ministry of Defence said that the jets had attacked six “carefully selected” targets around the oil field.
The Conservative Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said that the operation had struck a “very real blow” at the heart of IS.
Some estimates put the amount that the field generated for the group at between £1m to more than £3m a month.
Mr Cameron argued earlier this week that a failure to take action would allow IS, which has also claimed responsibility for a series of terror attacks around the world, to grow.
He also warned that allies had to intervene to prevent progress made in Iraq against IS in recent months slipping back.
But UK Government sources admit that the use of RAF planes will not be decisive in the war against IS.
They point to 70,000 “moderate” Syrian forces on the ground, which they believe can be used against IS.
But politicians from across all parties, including the Conservatives, have questioned that figure.
The RAF’s overnight attack used Paveway IV laser guided bombs to hit targets within the extensive oil field at Omar, 35 miles inside Syria’s eastern border with Iraq.
They targeted infrastructure in a bid to maximise the impact of the strikes.
The MoD said that strikes inside Iraq had already helped native ground forces to reclaim around a third of the territory taken by IS in 2014.
A source said: “Before our aircrew conducted their attacks, as is normal they used the aircraft’s advanced sensors to confirm that no civilians were in the proximity of the targets, who might be placed at risk.
“Our initial analysis of the operation indicates that the strikes were successful.”
The SNP’s Stephen Gethins, a member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said: “We will see if these military air strikes have any impact ... They might make a difference, but they are pretty crowded skies at the moment.
“You have had 2,500-3,000 sorties taken on Daesh targets.
“[Our committee] ... were told by military experts that this UK action would have at best a marginal effect and at worst could even make things worse.”