Tories write to John Swinney over Remembrance Sunday X row

John Swinney has been urged to explain why the Scottish government did not acknowledge Remembrance Sunday on its official X account.

The Scottish Conservatives said it showed a “total disregard for the sacrifice our soldiers made and continue to make in defence of our country”.

The party questioned why a post about a Sikh festival was instead published at 11am.

First Minister John Swinney lays a wreath during the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Stone of Remembrance outside the City Chambers in Edinburgh | PA

The First Minister did post about Remembrance Sunday on his own X account.

Alongside a clip of him laying a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance at Edinburgh's City Chambers, he wrote: “A privilege on Remembrance Sunday to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedom, and to respect the Armed Forces who do that today.

“We will remember them.”

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Harriet Cross, the Conservative shadow Scottish Secretary, has written to Mr Swinney calling for answers.

She said: “Whoever runs the Scottish government’s X account has got serious questions to answer over their failure to mark Remembrance Sunday.

“This wasn’t because it was observing a period of respectful silence. They posted about an important date in the Sikh calendar and about climate change. But chose to avoid acknowledging those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

“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.

“This failure to mark Remembrance Sunday shows a total disregard for the sacrifice our soldiers made and continue to make in defence of our country.

“Veterans and the families of those who gave their lives for our country deserve answers from an SNP government seemingly unwilling to acknowledge the sacrifices made by men and women fighting under the United Kingdom’s flag.”

The Scottish government has been contacted for comment.