THE Scottish Greens have hit out at Murdo Fraser’s “distasteful and pathetic” attack against the party.
The Tory MSP has faced backlash after he tweeted a low-resolution image of the Confederate flag with the caption “Scottish Greens unveil their new logo”.
The Mid Scotland and Fife politician was responding to comments made by Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer on pensions.
Scottish Greens unveil their new logo pic.twitter.com/KFgldBh43R
— Murdo Fraser (@murdo_fraser) February 18, 2022
Greer brought up the US Civil War on a podcast while discussing the nature of pension payments.
READ MORE: Murdo Fraser criticised for Confederate flag attack on Scottish Greens
Responding to Fraser’s comments, the Scottish Greens said no MSP should “normalise the use of such an abhorrent flag”.
Fraser was told his use of the flag has “no place in our politics”.
A Scottish Greens spokesperson told The National: “This is a distasteful and pathetic tweet from Murdo Fraser. The Confederate flag represents appalling racism and suffering.
“It has no place in our politics and nor do these kinds of tweets. All MSPs have a responsibility to ensure positive and civil debate, and should never normalise the use of such an abhorrent flag."
Greer said he was in “no sense” comparing Scotland’s independence debate to the war.
Shocking that an MSP tweeted this, given the use of that flag by white supremacists and this is the rectangular version used in anti civil rights protests and last years invasion of the US capital, rather than the historical square battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. https://t.co/A9KAcX8F2r
— Zara Pennington (@zara_pennington) February 19, 2022
The Scottish Green MSP told the Untribal podcast: “There's a really interesting example in relation to pensions, though.
“And in no other sense, I should stress, am I comparing our independence debate with the American Civil War, but I think that this is an interesting example of how pensions can do strange things.
“The Confederacy lost and were destroyed in 1865. The last widower’s pension for a Confederate service personnel was paid out in 2012.
Dear @POScotParl this Tweet by @murdo_fraser is totally unacceptable, bad enough if it had been posted by anyone on twitter but as an MSP this is appalling. I wish to lodge a formal complaint against @murdo_fraser MSP for this tweet and expect disciplinary actions are taken. pic.twitter.com/8OsAfAgwhX
— Old England is dying. (@englands_dying) February 18, 2022
“So the Union government, the United States government who won the US Civil War, paid the pensions of Confederate soldiers who'd been on the losing side of the war, whose states had been destroyed.
READ MORE: Tory attempt to deflect from partygate with SNP attack falls flat
“The winning side continued to pay those pensions, and because it was the pensions that were then passed on to those people’s successors, it was paid long after the lifetimes of anyone who'd been around during the US Civil War.”
Fraser has faced backlash over the remarks online too, with one person responding to the tweet writing: “Shocking that an MSP tweeted this, given the use of that flag by white supremacists and this is the rectangular version used in anti civil rights protests and last years invasion of the US capital, rather than the historical square battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia.”
Hi @POScotParl I wish to lodge a complaint in the strongest possible terms against MSP Murdo Fraser. I am not a member of the Scottish Green Party, but IMHO he has crossed a very serious political line with this tweet. pic.twitter.com/4eXNR59kTL
— Bill Cruickshank (@BjCruickshank) February 18, 2022
Another user tagged the Scottish Parliement’s presiding officer Alison Johnstone, saying: “Hi @POScotParl I wish to lodge a complaint in the strongest possible terms against MSP Murdo Fraser. I am not a member of the Scottish Green Party, but IMHO he has crossed a very serious political line with this tweet.”
The tweet remains up on the MSP's account.
Fraser and the Scottish Tories have been approached for comment.
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