Terrifying! Tory Anna lays bare SNP threat to Britain
ALEX Salmond faced an extraordinary assault yesterday by Conservative MP Anna Soubry over his plan to hold Westminster to ransom. Here are highlights of their exchange on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show:
MISS SOUBRY: I have to say, I think [Mr Salmond’s] is one of the scariest interviews I have heard for a very long time. MR SALMOND: Scary? Come on … MISS SOUBRY: Absolutely! It’s not personal at all. I’ve met Alex a few times – he seems a very charming man, but absolutely terrifying.
The thought that we are in a position where you could be actually controlling, in the way you have described, this United Kingdom fills me with absolute horror. The audacity is astonishing.
There was a wonderful debate in Scotland. You lost it. We are a united kingdom; that’s what the people of Scotland wanted and because of the inadequacies of Labour north of the border … MR SALMOND: But Anna … MISS SOUBRY: You guys are now in a position whereby you would be this power broker. MR SALMOND: So we haven’t lost after all then … MISS SOUBRY: Exactly! It’s a back-door way of breaking up the Union. It’s really concerning. MR SALMOND: I wanted Scotland to be independent. I wanted to leave Anna to her own devices in the House of Commons. She wanted us in the House of Commons. Now she’s complaining that we are going to have too many seats. I mean, goodness me … Miss Soubry: This is really concerning for our democracy and for the safety of our nation as well, because of his views on Trident. MR SALMOND: This is about a gateway decision on renewing the next generation of nuclear weapons, and that would be taken next year. It’s £100billion.
Anna wouldn’t be a defence minister under my formulation [of propping up a minority Labour government]. It’s nothing personal,
I just have a fundamental disagreement. She wants the poor to pay. I don’t think we need the new nukes. MISS SOUBRY: The real problem is this: Alex has made it very clear that, as far as he is concerned, there would be no deal with Labour unless there’s no renewal of Trident.
He has made that very clear. That’s true and honest to his own beliefs… MR SALMOND: You couldn’t have coalition or confidence and supply, but a vote-by-vote basis is what comes up in the House of Commons … MISS SOUBRY: No, no, no. Hang on a moment. When you and I were doing [BBC Radio 4’s] Any Questions, you said it was a red line for the SNP. MR SALMOND: Yes, for a coalition or confidence and supply, obviously. Vote- by-vote is vote-by-vote … MISS SOUBRY: We now have a situation whereby Labour is in real danger. There’s an absolute possibility that they will sell out on Trident, they will sell out on our defences. What chaos. Absolute chaos! Chaos. MR SALMOND: My view is, confidence and supply we describe as possible; I think vote-by-vote is probable. MISS SOUBRY: God, what a way to run a country! MR SALMOND: Listen, I ran a minority government for four years … MISS SOUBRY: Yes, but that was in Scotland. We are a United Kingdom [Parliament] where we do defence and do other things as well.