TWO local Parliamentarians are slating First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on her efforts to push a second referendum.
In a statement made to the Scottish Government this week, Sturgeon set out her plans to push for another vote of independence on October 19 2023.
Both Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell and constituency MSP Oliver Mundell are adamant that the SNP’s focus on independence is at the expense of the issues that local people need to deal with.
These include the cost-of-living crisis, improving education, tackling drug deaths and investing in the transport needs of southwest Scotland.
David Mundell said: “Once again the real priorities of people here in Dumfriesshire are playing second fiddle to the SNP’s obsession with holding another divisive referendum on independence.
“All of the Scottish Government’s focus should be on helping families through the cost-of-living crisis and build up public services.
“But instead they want to spend the next year gearing up for a referendum that few people want to see happen, and certainly not now.
“This relentless focus on getting another independence referendum is not in the interests of Dumfriesshire, or of Scotland as a whole.”
MSP Oliver Mundell continued: “Of all the pressing issues facing people here in Dumfriesshire, another independence referendum is not the answer to any of those concerns.
“The really disappointing thing is that the Scottish Parliament has the power at its fingertips improve the quality of life in our region, but it chooses instead to spend valuable time endlessly debating Scotland’s constitutional position.
“As the MSP and MP for Dumfriesshire, we will continue to demand that the neglect of our region by the Scottish Government ends and that instead of ceaselessly agitating for another divisive referendum the SNP instead put the needs of the country first.”
