Swinney hits back at 'disgusting' Tories over Remembrance Sunday X row
The First Minister said the party’s claims were ‘categorically false’
A row has broken out after the Scottish government was accused of failing to acknowledge Remembrance Sunday on its official X account.
The Scottish Conservatives said it showed a “total disregard for the sacrifice our soldiers made and continue to make in defence of our country”.
The party also questioned why a post about a Sikh festival was instead published at 11am.
But First Minister John Swinney said the claims were “categorically false” and “disgusting”.
He said the party should withdraw them and apologise to veterans and their families.
The First Minister posted about Remembrance Sunday on his X account, and this was then reposted by the government’s official account.
Alongside a clip of him laying a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance at Edinburgh's City Chambers, he wrote: “A privilege on Remembrance Sunday to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom, and to respect the Armed Forces who do that today.
“We will remember them.”
In addition, the government posted about his wreath-laying on Instagram and Facebook.
But Harriet Cross, the Conservative shadow Scottish secretary, said: “Whoever runs the Scottish government’s X account has got serious questions to answer over their failure to mark Remembrance Sunday.
“This wasn’t because it was observing a period of respectful silence. They posted about an important date in the Sikh calendar and about climate change. But chose to avoid acknowledging those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
“It is hard to see their decision to post about a Sikh festival at precisely 11am, at the very moment that people across the country were observing a two-minute silence to honour our war dead, as a coincidence.
“There is no reason why they couldn’t have recognised both - not least out of respect to the 83,000 Sikhs killed fighting in both World Wars.
“This failure to mark Remembrance Sunday shows a total disregard for the sacrifice our soldiers made and continue to make in defence of our country.
“Veterans and the families of those who gave their lives for our country deserve answers from an SNP government seemingly unwilling to acknowledge the sacrifices made by men and women fighting under the United Kingdom’s flag.”
In response to a letter from Ms Cross calling for answers, the First Minister said: “This assertion is categorically false – and you should withdraw it.
“Yesterday, I was privileged to attend the National Service of Remembrance, where I had the honour of delivering a reading and laying a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance.
“A post marking my attendance was shared on Scottish government’s First Minister account on X, and on the main Scottish government X channel. This was in addition to posts on other channels and platforms
“It is not credible to believe that you missed all of this. You are knowingly perpetrating a falsehood. Frankly, I find it disgusting that you have sought to politicise an occasion where the whole country rightly comes together to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our freedoms.
“You should withdraw this false claim now and apologise – not to me, but to the many veterans and their families.”
A spokesperson for Ms Cross said: “Harriet stands by her questions, which John Swinney has typically avoided answering with desperate deflection.”
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