Tories brand John Swinney's anti-far-right summit as SNP 'talking shop'

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has threatened to reject First Minister John Swinney’s invite to attend a summit on democracy and respect.

In February, Swinney announced that he would convene a gathering of Scottish society to unite Scotland against the “increasingly extreme far right”.

Key organisations and leaders across Scotland have been invited – including churches, trade unions, charities and leaders of Scotland’s parliamentary parties.

However, Findlay has hit out at the summit as “yet another SNP talking shop”, which he said is “inherently divisive”.

In an open letter to the First Minister on Monday, Findlay said he had concerns about “inconsistencies and hypocrisy” in Swinney’s government.

The Tory leader urged Swinney to drop the SNP’s quest for independence and reverse his government’s position on gender ID reform guidance across the public sector.

He also requested Swinney apologise for SNP ministers “peddling misinformation, and disinformation”; and instruct ministers to “stop making false statements in future”.

“If you cannot agree to these reasonable and common sense requests, the paying public will see your summit for what it is — a politically-motivated and taxpayer funded talking shop whose real purpose is to generate positive headlines for your government while distracting from its dismal record of failure,” Findlay said.

Speaking at a press conference at Bute House in February, Swinney said the Glasgow summit would be an opportunity to renew public trust in politics and unite Scotland in a common cause – “for democracy and respect.”

“It is time to come together to draw a line in the sand. To set out who we are and what we believe in,” he previously said.

“The threat from the far right is real. But that leaves me all the more convinced that working together is not only the right choice, but the only choice.”

On Monday, a spokesperson for the First Minister said it was “deeply disappointing” that the Conservatives were searching for reasons not to take part in the summit.

“The First Minister’s gathering is an opportunity for Scotland to unite behind the common principle that far right and racist hatred should have no place in Scotland and to agree a common approach to asserting Scotland’s shared values and creating a cohesive society where everyone feels at home,” the spokesperson said.

“We would hope that all parties in Parliament would be able to come together around this basic premise and the large number of organisations from civic Scotland who will attend would rightly expect politicians to show unity on such a serious issue.”

In his letter on Monday, Findlay agreed that the “threat from polarising forces is real”, but he accused the SNP’s nationalist movement for “sowing division” while seeking to blame others for your government’s many failings.

Findlay didn’t disagree with the aims of the summit, but he expressed concerns about “some inconsistencies and hypocrisy”.

Findlay took aim at the government’s “routine and seemingly casual disregard for truthfulness” and accused SNP politicians of being “serially incompetent or dishonest” and “rarely ever held to account”.

“Women who are fighting to protect their hard-won rights are also familiar with the polarising and dangerous gender ideology being imposed on society by you and your party,” Findlay added.

A spokesperson for Swinney said they hoped Findlay will “reflect, put aside politics and agree to take part”.