FASLANE DEBATE IN SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

Tommy Sheridan initiated a debate on nuclear weapons and the protests at Faslane on 24 January. Dorothy Grace Elder, Lloyd Quinan and Colin Campbell spoke in support. Richard Simpson (Deputy Justice Minister) proposed an amendment which deleted the motion. With regard to the blockades at Faslane he referred to "the small number of violent people who create victims in such circumstances" and condemned " the hard-list activists who attempt to breach security and who are totally disruptive." He specifically referred to an incident when a car was rocked at the last blockade and to the 750 police officers deployed to police the event.

Scottish CND strongly dispute the impression given by Richard Simpson of the Blockades at Faslane. Senior police officers on the ground have stated to the press that the protest were good natured and peaceful. Other police officers testifying under oath at trials resulting from the blockades have repeatedly said that the demonstrations were peaceful. As was made clear by Tommy Sheridan and Dorothy Grace Elder during the debate in the Scottish Parliament Mr Simpson's comments are based on ignorance - as he has never been present at these protests - and no protester has been charged with assault.

The vote in the Scottish Parliament was on party lines with the SNP supporting Tommy Sheridan's motion. The only Labour MSP who supported the motion was John McAllion. Cathy Jamieson and the other Labour MSPs voted for Richard Simpson's amendment. During the debate Donald Gorrie (Lib Dem) said that he personally was opposed to nuclear weapons, despite his party policy, but did not support the kinds of protests held at Faslane.

Motion and amendment

S1M-2633 Tommy Sheridan: Faslane and the Anti-Nuclear Campaign-That the Parliament believes that nuclear weapons pose a very real threat to humanity and accordingly should be opposed on moral, social, political and economic grounds; opposes the possession of nuclear weapons; supports unilateral disarmament in Scotland and across the UK in pursuit of a non-nuclear world, free of the threat of destruction by nuclear weapons; further supports the Scottish CND and Trident Ploughshares blockade of Faslane nuclear submarine base on 11-13 February 2002, and upholds the right of demonstrators to protest peacefully in support of world peace.

The Presiding Officer has selected the following amendment S1M-2633.1 Dr Richard Simpson: Faslane and the Anti-Nuclear Campaign-As an amendment to motion (S1M-2633) in the name of Tommy Sheridan, leave out from "believes" to end and insert "supports the right of demonstrators to protest peacefully in support of world peace, but condemns those in a democratic society who abuse this right and act in contravention of the criminal law."