The Scotsman Bulletin Tuesday August 20 2024 #AngusRobertson
Scotsman deputy editor Alan Young hears the latest on the row within the SNP surrounding Angus Robertson
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00:00Hello, welcome to the Scotsman's Daily, built in for Tuesday. I'm Alan Young, I'm deputy
00:05editor of the Scotsman. I'm joined today by our political correspondent, Rachel Emery,
00:08to take a look at the main headlines. Hi, Rachel.
00:11Good morning.
00:12Let's have a look at the front page first. And you can see there what Rachel is going
00:18to be talking about. The latest twist in this ongoing row over Angus Robertson meeting an
00:25Israeli diplomat, which led to a furious backlash, it's fair to say, within the SMP.
00:35So we'll get on to that with Rachel in a minute. I'd like though to highlight today, as ever,
00:41we have the essential guide to the Edinburgh festivals. In the last week now, still plenty
00:48to see pull out in today's paper and all the content at Scotsman.com.
00:55So Rachel, Angus Robertson put out a statement yesterday apologising for this meeting, having
01:03previously defended it. And the Scottish government also saying there'll be no further meetings
01:11with Israel. Do you think that's an end to the matter?
01:15Well, he's already had this question this morning on the radio. He was saying that he
01:21was the one that decided to call them to agree to this meeting and that while the first minister
01:26was made aware of it, they did not speak in person about this meeting. So it is going
01:30to develop on and on as it goes. I believe there are still calls to discuss this at the
01:35SMP party conference in just over a week's time as well. So it probably won't be the
01:39end that we'll hear of this situation at the moment. And because, as you said, there was
01:43quite a backlash to this photograph of Angus Robertson and the deputy Israeli ambassador
01:49being shared on social media last week.
01:53It really has highlighted the splits in the SMP, which have led to this extraordinary
02:00statement, I think you say yesterday. Just go over for us what the reaction was like
02:10and I guess where the concern was within the elements of the SMP.
02:16Yeah, lots of concern being raised in the party. Angus Robertson, of course, saying
02:21this is normal diplomatic relations and that this was an opportunity for him to put
02:25forward the Scottish government's position on calling for an immediate ceasefire in
02:29Gaza. But as you said, there are plenty of others who have put on social media that
02:34they were against this meeting. Brendan O'Hara, who's the party's Middle East
02:39spokesman, he also wrote a letter to Mr.
02:41Robertson saying that he, by meeting the deputy ambassador, had undermined the
02:45Westminster group's actions on calling for a ceasefire as well.
02:49So it has certainly brought up lots of division within the party.
02:52There's also further splits and divisions as well.
02:55John Mason, who is the MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, he's had the SMP whip removed
03:00from him by comments that he posted on social media as well to say that what's
03:04happening in Gaza is not a genocide.
03:07And he was also interviewed about that recently, where he says he stands by his
03:10comments and won't apologise for them.
03:12So certainly a big split within the party on this issue, and that probably will
03:16continue going forward.
03:19And we've heard from John Swinney on this as well.
03:24Yes, so this is where we're sort of now seeing what John Swinney is saying and what
03:28Angus Robertson is saying.
03:30So Angus Robertson very much saying that all government meetings have to go through
03:34the first minister. So he was made aware of the meeting, made aware of the
03:37recommendation to meet with the deputy ambassador as well.
03:40But this morning, Angus Robertson saying that he was the one that ultimately made
03:44the decision to hold this meeting.
03:48Thanks very much for that, Rachel.
03:50We'll continue to keep a really close eye on developments, since this is not quite
03:56the end of the story.
03:58Please do watch Scotsman.com for all the very latest updates throughout the day.
04:05If you can do subscribe, then you can read and watch everything that we do.
04:10And if you're out and about today, as ever, please do pick up a copy of the paper.
04:14But for me, for Rachel, it's bye for now.
04:16Goodbye.