Group hit out at ‘bully’ Sturgeon
ANDREA LAMBROU
Scotland’s First Minister has been accused of using ‘bully-boy tactics’against campaigners fighting for kids like Cole Thomson.
That’s after claims she instructed officers from Police Scotland to watch over protestors following a perceived threat.
Ms Sturgeon is said to have made the call after an email was sent from Parents of Hope and Medical Cannabis Reform Scotland (MCRS) asking for support.
Now the News can exclusively reveal the medicinal cannabis campaigners are being monitored by the Public Order Unit.
In an email to MCRS, campaign manager Bernie McCreadie included a line, which she insists was not a threat but a“lighthearted throwaway comment”.
That read:“Parents of Hope’s next plan of action are to sit on Nicola Sturgeon’s doorstep for however long its takes. MCRS have promised our full support on everything they do.
“It’s nearly January and it’s freezing, please don’t make me sit on a doorstep.”
The email was thought to be forwarded to the First Minister’s office who, the campaigners claim, contacted the police highlighting it as a credible threat.
Bernie this week blasted the First Minister for using“bullying tactics”against a group of desperate mums.
She said:“I was just pointing out the state of affairs we’re all in because of this pharmaceutical turf war and urging them to do the right thing.
“I put a lighthearted comment at the bottom which has created merry Hell. I understand there are procedures to be followed, but what threat do a bunch of parents with sick children pose?
“I’ve been trying to get a response from Nicola Sturgeon for a very long time, now I have her attention.
“But there is no law against us sitting on her doorstep. If we want to sit on her doorstep, we will and we’ll do it peacefully.
“We can’t believe her office has set the police on us. I’m devastated it’s taken this turn of events when we were making such progress.”
The‘PS’comment was included in a private email to NHS chiefs and government ministers urging them to help provide better access to the drug for children like Cole Thomson and Murray Gray, who is fighting for his life in hospital.
Cole’s mum and Parents of Hope campaigner, Lisa Quarrell, confirmed she received a call from police about the alleged threat lastWednesday.
Lisa, herself an ex-cop of 10 years, told the News: “Police told me Parents of Hope and MCRS were planning to stage a protest on Nicola Sturgeon’s doorstep.
“He said because of Bernie’s email, the names of the groups were to be ‘kept on their radar’and that it had come direct from Nicola Sturgeon’s office and went straight to the top – detective chief inspector level.
“We aren’t activists looking to terrorise the First Minister, we’re mums fighting to get treatment for our very sick wee boys.”
The Public Order Unit are used to dealing with protests, marches and football-related trouble – Lisa called the move to employ them as a “massive overreaction” and“very unsympathetic”.
Bernie added:“I demand an apology for this. It’s disgraceful.
“This was her firing a warning shot to us, these are bullying tactics. Her actions have made me ashamed of my own country.”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland confirmed they had been“made aware of a possible protest,”adding that officers – as in all cases – made contact with the lead campaigner to“open up lines of communication” to ensure they were able to exercise their“right to a peaceful and lawful protest”.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said “no such request was made by the First Minister”.
She added:“We are unable to comment on any security protocols in place for communications to ministers, or direct operational decisions of the police.”