SCOTTISH Secretary Alister Jack has been criticised for ducking the media on a trip to Glasgow.
The Tory MP for Dumfries and Galloway is understood to have visited a university in the city on Tuesday – but kept his visit private.
No details of his trip to Scotland’s largest city were trailed by his office and no journalists were invited to grill the minister on his responsibilities – at a time when they have been thrown into the limelight amid increasingly frequent rows between the country’s two governments.
He is understood to have visited an “innovation zone” at one of Glasgow’s universities – but the Scotland Office failed to say which one when approached on Monday night for details.
READ MORE: Climate activists spray Scottish Parliament building with red paint in oil protest
Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny said: “Union Jack seems too scared to come to Glasgow and take questions from the media. Here’s the bird that never flew. Here’s the tree that never grew. Here’s the bell that never rang. Here’s the fish that never swam. And here’s to the minister that never spoke.”
Scotland Office minister John Lamont began a five-day tour of the west of Scotland on Monday, starting in Cruachan Power Station, near Dalmally in Argyll.
Lamont will also visit a salmon hatchery in Oban, a cheesemakers in Mull, the Lochranza Country Inn in Arran and an environmental group in the island and an industrial estate in Irvine, among others.
Jack was pictured with the Prime Minister during his trip to Aberdeenshire on Monday.
The Scotland Office declined to comment when approached by The National.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel