Carol Monaghan, MP for Glasgow North West, has responded to the announcement from the Prime Minister that she is to seek the dissolution of Parliament to call a General Election.
The Prime Minister has announced that there will be a motion tomorrow (Wednesday) in the House of Commons – under the Fixed Term Parliament Act this vote will require a two thirds majority of the House of Commons in order to pass.
If the motion is passed, a General Election will be held on Thursday 8th June 2017.
Carol Monaghan MP said:
“Today’s shock announcement is an attempt by the Prime Minister to gain control of factions within the Tory Party and consolidate power at the expense of a chaotic Labour.
“Since the result of the EU referendum last June, the right wing of the Conservative Party has become increasingly emboldened. We have seen a shift in political discourse from the Tories that is totally unrecognisable in Scotland.
“This snap General Election is a real opportunity for Scotland to once again reject the narrow-minded agenda of the Tory Party, hell bent on attacking the disabled and the most vulnerable in our society.
“I am confident the people of Scotland will continue to put their faith in progressive, outward-looking representation at Westminster.”
Commenting, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
“This announcement is one of the most extraordinary U-turns in recent political history, and it shows that Theresa May is once again putting the interests of her party ahead of those of the country.
“She is clearly betting that the Tories can win a bigger majority in England given the utter disarray in the Labour Party.
“That makes it all the important that Scotland is protected from a Tory Party which now sees the chance of grabbing control of government for many years to come and moving the UK further to the right – forcing through a hard Brexit and imposing deeper cuts in the process.
“That means that this will be – more than ever before – an election about standing up for Scotland, in the face of a right-wing, austerity obsessed Tory government with no mandate in Scotland but which now thinks it can do whatever it wants and get away with it.
“In terms of Scotland, this move is a huge political miscalculation by the Prime Minister.
“It will once again give people the opportunity to reject the Tories’ narrow, divisive agenda, as well as reinforcing the democratic mandate which already exists for giving the people of Scotland a choice on their future.
“The SNP will always put the people of Scotland first – and between now and June 8th we will work harder than ever to retain the trust of the people.”
Comments are closed