SNP MP brands Boris Johnson's "mighty Union" speech "jarring and untrue"
23 July 2020, 14:44 | Updated: 23 July 2020, 14:46
SNP MP brands PM's "mighty Union" speech "jarring and untrue"
SNP MP Kirsten Oswald brands Boris Johnson's speech celebrating the "might of the Union" as "jarring and untrue."
The response to coronavirus shows the "sheer might" of the UK's union, Boris Johnson said as he arrived in Orkney.
The "merits of the union" were proven by the work of the military and Treasury job retention schemes, he told broadcasters.
SNP MP Kirsten Oswald branded the Prime Minister's words "jarring" and listened to his speech on unity "with a degree of surprise."
Ms Oswald said he seemed to be presuming his statements were fact and it is simply "not the case"; the "broad shoulders" of the union may be how Westminster interprets it however for Ms Oswald the shoulders are "rather slumped."
"I do think the Prime Minister needs to look at himself and his party and his Government," she said, "if you think of the position Scotland is in now, we're being pulled out of the EU against our will. Scotland expressly did not want this."
She cited data released today which shows Brexit is "already" costing Scotland £3.4 billion in lost GDP growth and this is before tackling the financial repercussions of coronavirus.
"I'm not sure Boris Johnson understands where we stand in Scotland," she said.
