Author: Hollyrood is ignoring big issues
Alasdair Gray, the acclaimed author and artist, has accused the Scottish Parliament of undermining devolution. He said they had done so by abandoning popular causes such as nuclear disarmament and the removal of US military bases. Gray, who is seen as the founder of the country’s literary renaissance, said he was “disappointed in much of the devolved parliament’s legislation”. Although issues such as disarmament remained important for Scots in the country at large, they were ignored by MSPs and ministers. “The things Scotland wants is the removal of military and atomic weaponry, mainly owned by Nato bases and by the Westminster government,” said Gray, a notable supporter of Scottish independence. “But the Scottish parliament has stopped indicating it will withdraw from Nato. The Scots have stopped complaining about some of the things they wanted the parliament to do. “That’s why I’m disappointed, and that’s what I will be writing to remind people of.” The 83-year-old Lanark author will set out his views in a forthcoming pamphlet entitled Against Scotland As It Stands.