DAVID KERR SNP CANDIDATE WRITES TO LABOUR AND TORY PARTY LEADERS.

DAVID KERR SNP CANDIDATE WRITES TO LABOUR AND TORY PARTY LEADERS.

RELIGION HAS NO PART TO PLAY IN THIS CAMPAIGN,

SNP Glasgow North East candidate, David Kerr, has written to the leaders
of Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservative seeking immediate
assurances that religion will not be used as an issue in this forthcoming
by-election.

Commenting, Mr Kerr said:

“I was very disappointed to read comments by senior Labour and
Conservative politicians in which they raised my personal faith as a
by-election issue.

“Modern Scotland and Scottish political parties encompass people of all
faiths and none. My faith is a personal matter, and religion has no part
to play in this or any other campaign.

"The Labour candidate Willie Bain agrees with that, yet Labour’s Justice
Spokesperson has sought to make it an issue in the by-election – as indeed
has the Tory Deputy Leader. I have written to party leaders seeking
assurances that this sorry episode will not be repeated.

“I represent the SNP’s positive record of helping the hardworking people
of Scotland while my opponents are being forced to defend the stances of
parties who seek to slash Scotland’s budget and endanger vital services
but this is no excuse for them seeking to divert attention and bring
issues of religion into political campaigning.

“The London parties should cut out the nonsense, and focus on the real
issues. And Labour should call the by-election this week, instead of
leaving Glasgow North East without parliamentary representation for
another four months.”


Notes:

In the Sunday Times yesterday, Labour Justice Spokesperson Richard Baker is quoted as saying: “There has been a lot of coverage about Opus Dei …and I’m sure it will be a cause for people to have questions about Mr Kerr’s views.” Conservative Deputy Leader said the disclosure raised question about whether it was appropriate to have a candidate who was a member of a “secretive” and “hard line” organisation.