Press Release
13th October 2003
SNP’s
“Moonlight Flit” to Paisley
The SNP’s “moonlight flit” from Greenock to
Paisley has been condemned by Greenock and Inverclyde’s MSP,
Duncan McNeil and MP, David Cairns.
The High Street office was vacated earlier this year when none of the four Regional List MSPs – Colin Campbell, Kay Ullrich, Fiona McLeod and Lloyd Quinan – was re-elected. But now the SNP has decided to close the office for good and relocate to Paisley, where SNP MSP Bruce McFee is based.
Speaking as the sign was finally being removed from the front of the office, Mr McNeil said the SNP had “done a moonlight flit to Paisley like they owe the tick man 3 weeks’ money.”
The closure had already sparked controversy when the office broke parliamentary rules by continuing to display official Scottish Parliament signage which presented ex-MSPs as elected representatives. Following the intervention of several senior Scottish Parliament officials – including Presiding Officer, George Reid – contractors were instructed to remove the sign from the office.
Mr McNeil said:
“They opened this office with much fanfare four years ago. But now they’re abandoning Greenock without so much as a word of thanks, or even a goodbye.
“They’ve done a moonlight flit to Paisley like they owe the tick man 3 weeks’ money.
“I know it’s not been a happy hunting ground – they don’t have a single councillor, all four of the regional list members have been turfed out and their Scottish Parliament election campaign was non-existent – but I didn’t think they would give up this easily.
“Still, at least Paisley Buddy, Bruce McPhee will be pleased to be back in his spiritual home.”
Mr Cairns added:
“This must be a kick in the teeth for Inverclyde’s small band of already beleaguered SNP activists. I for one wouldn’t fancy being an SNP member trying to argue to the people of Inverclyde that they care about this area.
“This simple fact is there is only one genuine Parliamentary Office in this town – and it’s the one where you can contact the two elected representatives who were born and bred in Greenock. No-one could ever question our commitment to Inverclyde.”
Ex-MSPs must remove official Scottish Parliament signage which continues to present them as MSPs. However, despite a letter from the Presiding Officer to all former members on 25th June 2003 reminding them of this obligation, the former West of Scotland SNP Office in Greenock did not comply.
Only after a high level
intervention was action finally taken.
ENDS
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