Scots Tory leader to decry independence and FM’s summit with Sinn Fein

Russell Findlay is expected to lambast the idea of Scottish independence and the First Minister’s recent summit with Sinn Féin.

The Scottish Conservative leader will speak later on Sunday at a party conference in Birmingham, where he will discuss “irresponsible” independence, and the recent “separatist summit” in Cardiff.

Mr Findlay is expected to say: “Since Mr Swinney was a teenager, all he’s cared about is breaking up the United Kingdom. Sorry Mr Swinney, and your new friends in Sinn Féin, but we won’t let that happen.

“I’ve been speaking with families who’ve lost loved ones to IRA terrorism. They’re angry and upset at Scotland’s First Minister forming a pact with the IRA’s former political wing.

“Let’s not forget that Sinn Féin has never denounced the IRA slaughter of innocent men, women, and children. Or the murder of many brave service men and women, including Scottish soldiers.

“Or the bomb they planted at this very conference in 1984 – murdering five people including Muriel Maclean, the wife of former Scottish Conservative president Sir Donald Maclean. Yet Mr Swinney works with them to destroy the United Kingdom. A disgrace.”

He will add: “Just last week, Putin’s foreign minister was talking up the Cardiff gathering of Swinney, Sinn Féin and Welsh nationalists. That tells you everything you need to know. A divided UK is a gift to our enemies.

“We already know that many of the most noisy and aggressive Scottish nationalists are in fact Iranian regime bots.

“Furiously tweeting about freedom not from Troon or Twechar, but Tehran.

“John Swinney is still backing a proposed Chinese wind turbine factory in the Highlands despite concerns about its threat to national security.”

Mr Findlay will also discuss jobs at Faslane, international security threats from China, Russia, and Iran, and that these nations would see an independent Scotland as an opportunity.

He will conclude his statement by saying: “These totalitarian regimes want a divided United Kingdom. And we have SNP politicians who share that aim. They want to shut down Faslane. They oppose Britain’s armed forces.

“In today’s volatile world, relentless SNP agitation about independence is no longer just a dangerous distraction. It is now dangerously irresponsible.

“Can you imagine what kind of foreign policy an independent SNP-run Scotland might have?

“One that puts Sinn Féin over IRA victims, Chinese interests over national security and pro-Palestine posturing over the safety of Scotland’s Jews.”

Commenting, SNP MSP Alex Kerr said: “Nothing will strengthen Scotland’s standing in the world more than becoming an independent country and rejoining the international community in our own right for the first time in over 300 years.

“In May of this year the SNP were returned to government for a historic fifth term on a pledge to give the people of Scotland a referendum on independence – while Russell Findlay led his party to its worst ever Scottish Parliament election result.

“Russell Findlay is completely obsessed with the SNP, so it’s no surprise he’d rather spend his conference speech talking about us, rather than what he has to offer the people of Scotland – which is clearly very little.”