By Bill Heaney
It will come as no surprise to readers of The Dumbarton Democrat that they are being lied to by politicians on a constant and ongoing basis.
Lorna Slater MSP, First Minister John Swinney and Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie.
“Last summer, members of the Scottish Parliament agreed overwhelmingly that everyone should be able to access abortion services free from harassment.
“What is the First Minister doing to correct false claims and to provide clarity to the public on what buffer zones mean for them? How will he protect safe access to healthcare in Scotland?”
“Obviously, the remarks that the Vice-President of the United States made last week about the safe access zones legislation in Scotland were untrue. They were incorrect, so I am grateful to Lorna Slater for providing the opportunity for me to say that to the Parliament openly and to clarify the position.
“The idea that private prayer in an individual’s home is in any way contradicted or constrained by the legislation is just not correct.
“On Lorna Slater’s point about what the Government is doing on the issues, ahead of the act coming into force, we published clear guidance on NHS Inform and the Scottish Government website.
“We also issued letters to householders who were affected by the zones about what the act meant for their localities. I urge anyone with questions to read the online guidance that is available.”
“Does the First Minister agree that political leaders everywhere must stand up to disinformation? Will he ask Keir Starmer to demand an urgent apology from the White House when the Prime Minister meets Trump next week?”
“On Lorna Slater’s general point, we are living in an era in which disinformation is regularly circulated in our political discourse, which is harming that discourse. We have plenty of evidence of it in the Parliament, and I want to be one of those individuals who stand up for the clarity of information, who speak truth to the Parliament and who express in detail—
It was then that Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie became involved when she asked: “Seriously?”
Mr Swinney replied: “Yes, I say to Jackie Baillie, seriously. Speaking truth to the Parliament is what I am about. The Labour Party might want to deceive …
“For some reason, on an issue on which we are tackling disinformation in our society, Jackie Baillie believes that she should question the integrity of the First Minister speaking truth to the Parliament, which I do at all times.
“Neither she nor any other member can come to the Parliament and say otherwise, and it is a disgrace that such behaviour takes place in the Parliament.”