WITH the recent extension of his portfolio, Cabinet Secretary and SNP MSP Michael Russell is in big demand these days, so it’s a triumph for a party branch in Edinburgh to have him as a speaker at a public event next week.
SNP Morningside are holding an event on February 25 from 7pm to 9pm at the Morningside Parish Church, 2 Cluny Gardens – that’s EH10 6BQ for the satnav. Admission is free, with a request for donations.
Michael Russell will discuss “the state we’re in”. His initial remarks on the lamentable state of Brexit discussions and where we go from here will be followed by an extended question and answer session.
David Patrick, local SNP organiser, said: “Since Brexit Day, we’ve noticed fundamental changes when canvassing in Morningside. A couple of conversations illustrate this perfectly. One voter was convinced that voting No was right in 2014. But he was horrified that, in 2020, the UK looked like this. He apologised to me for ‘getting it so wrong’ and finished our discussion by saying he was ‘100% Yes – all the way.’
“A solicitor described herself as ‘not just a No, but no way’ in 2014. Post-Brexit, she was really unsure, saying: ‘At the very least, I feel I have to go and do the research – because leaving the EU is going to be so damaging.’”
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Perhaps it will be people like these who will join the dozens who have already signed up to attend.
Patrick explained: “I’ve been trying to find a date to present Russell for over eighteen months. And I am delighted that Michael has found time to visit us in Edinburgh South so soon after Brexit Day, and in the run-up to Holyrood 2021.
“It helps that he is regarded as a ‘straight bat’ politically – I’m sure that his consensual tone of speaking will appeal to voters who voted No in 2014, but who are now, at the very least, indy-curious.
“And already we know that Michael is going to draw a big crowd – over 100 have confirmed online and publicity is going out all across the constituency. It might be the biggest event we have ever held.”
As always, we ask our correspondent for their views, and David Patrick was happy to reply.
He said: “My own thoughts on independence? As a mathematician by training – and speaking entirely in a personal capacity – there’s a neat symmetry to the following: Scotland joined the union with England on the promise of free trade with the colonies; Scotland will leave the union with England for the promise of free trade with the EU.
“Why? Because no sensible country votes to make itself poorer. That’s why the 2016 vote in Scotland was Remain, and the next indyref will be a Yes.”
Please register for the evening on Eventbrite. Rest assured The National will report on the speeches.
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