SCOTLAND WANTS TO PLAY ITS PART. WILL BRITAIN LET US?

Munguin echoing the call for more action from Scotland

This blog supports the First Minister's pledge to hold a summit meeting tomorrow with representatives of local councils, charities, politicians, religious bodies, and leaders of opposition parties.

We recognise too that Kezia Dugdale proposed the same idea, and that Willie Rennie has said he will be attending. We've seen tweets from Ruth Davidson praising what the UK government does, but suggesting that we need to do more. We very much hope that she will attend tomorrow's meeting, and that Patrick Harvie will also agree to be there. We need a unified approach on this.

This isn't about party political point scoring. It's seems fairly clear that the parties in Scotland will work together, putting their differences aside.

We are pleased, and proud of that.

We are aware that the UK sends money to countries in the Middle East to help them with the crisis that they have been coping with for some years.  This information may aid understanding of the problems that these countries are suffering. Remember that one in five people in Lebanon is a Syrian refugee!

Craig Murray has interesting blog here proposing that there might be a bit more financial aid coming from Saudi Arabia, which bears a not inconsiderable responsibility for the situation. 

Our First Minister has written to the British PM to tell him that Scotland wants to do its fair share, like most other European countries, large and small. However, unlike most of them, we need the permission of the London government before we can offer help.

Let's hope he reads it and reacts favourably.