John Swinney‘s SNP government in Scotland is under fire today after its social media accounts ignored Remembrance Sunday yesterday – but found time to promote a Sikh festival and climate action.
As the whole of the UK fell silent at 11am for the two-minute silence for the nation’s war dead, the Scottish Government sent a message to its X, Instagram and Facebook followers about Bandi Chhor Divas.
It followed that up hours later by promoting a taxpayer-funded trip to the Cop 31 summit by climate action secretary Gillian Martin, who will be ‘representing Scotland’ despite the presence of UK government ministers.
As of 9am this morning the government had still not mentioned Remembrance Sunday on X.
It did post on Facebook and Instagram later yesterday afternoon, but only to tell followers that First Minister Mr Swinney had laid a wreath in Edinburgh.
Shadow secretary of state for Scotland Harriet Cross said: ‘Whoever runs the Scottish Government’s X account has got serious questions to answer over their failure to mark Remembrance Sunday.
As the UK fell silent at 11am for the two-minute silence for the nation’s war dead, the Scottish Government sent a message to its X and Facebook followers about Bandi Chhor Divas
As of 9am this morning the government had still not mentioned Remembrance Sunday on X, although it did post on Facebook yesterday afternoon about First Minister Mr Swinney laying a wreath in Edinburgh
‘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.’
Russell Findlay, the leader of the Scottish Tories, added: ‘I wonder what the many brave Sikhs who serve and have served in our armed forces make of this.’
On Sunday morning, a military parade marched down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle, led by the RAF Central Scotland Pipes and Drums.
Wreaths of poppies were then laid at the Stone of Remembrance, with Mr Swinney joined by Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander.
