Angus Robertson: why his position in the Cabinet of the Scottish Government is now under scrutiny.

A quick look at Angus Robertson MSP’s social media feed shows an official spread filled with visits to festivals, films and theatrical events. Not surprising given that part of his portfolio is Culture – his official position in the Scottish Government is, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. Not a bad gig compared to other Government Cabinet Secretaries who have considerable workloads dealing with things like Education and the Health Service – both of which are fully devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

The other parts of his portfolio, Constitution and External Affairs, prove to be much more difficult to find any activity on particularly in his appearances in the Scottish Parliament, and these two cross over into reserved powers to the UK Parliament – and the SNP has MPs who cover these issues.

Calls are mounting on Angus Robertson to resign from his Cabinet position after he met with the Israeli Deputy Ambassador, no evidence of which you will find on his social media, but which it transpires was in his official capacity in the cabinet of the Scottish Government, and completely unknown to the MP, Brendan O’Hara, who is the SNP’s Shadow Spokesman on Foreign Affairs at Westminster.

In a leaked letter to Angus Robertson from Brendan O’Hara, the MP has expressed his condemnation of his party colleague in the Scottish Government for meeting with the Israeli Deputy Ambassador. The SNP MPs at Westminster have been clear on their opposition to the stance of the UK Government still trading arms to Israel. They have consistently supported the people of Gaza in the genocide being perpetrated on the enclave by the Israeli Government. O’Hara has the full support of the other SNP MPs in his response to Robertson.

Why oh why did this meeting between Robertson and the Israeli Deputy Ambassador take place without the knowledge of the SNP Parliamentary Party at Westminster when this was clearly not only against the position the party was taking on Gaza and Israel, but also it is a Reserved power ? Why was it held so covertly?

Angus Robertson has only been in the Scottish Parliament since 2021, previous to that he was a MP from 2001 to 2017, perhaps he is confused that he is no longer in that position? They Work For You provides a valuable resource for anyone wishing to check up on what our elected representatives are doing. Angus Robertson’s feed is not particularly busy considering he is a member of the Scottish Government’s Cabinet. Most of the times he has appeared in the Scottish Parliament to answer questions it was on Cultural activities, you’ll be hard pressed to find recent exchanges on either external affairs or the constitution – the latter of which is the very reason for the SNP’s existence – to re-establish an independent Scotland.

Questions have been raised by opposition MSPs about the cost of Angus Robertson’s many foreign trips. Angus Robertson certainly racks up travel and other expenses for his trips and functions compared to other cabinet members. In a recent exchange in May with the Conservative MSP Edward Mountain, his responses to queries about his overseas trips since Robertson entered the Scottish Parliament in 2021 were described as ‘evasive’. The latest data on Ministerial engagements published July 24, includes Angus Robertson’s 7 day trip to China in November 2023, cost £5,362.34 – well above the costs incurred by any other member of the Cabinet, including that of the First Minister. In April 2024, Angus Robertson was in New York from 1 to 6th, cost £3,805.35 – yet again far exceeding the costs accrued by any other member of the Cabinet.

Angus Robertson has a lot of questions to answer not just to MSPs, or to his party members, but to the public, who fund all these trips. His meeting with the Israeli Deputy Ambassador at a time of widespread protests to the genocide taking place in Gaza, the escalation of settler violence in The West Bank, and the decision of the International Court of Justice on Israel as illegally occupying Gaza makes his continued position in the Scottish Cabinet in serious doubt. The meeting which he held in secret with the Israeli ambassador included discussions around cooperation between the two countries in technology, culture, and renewable energy flies in the face of the decision taken by the World’s Court. In July 2024 the International Court of Justice found that :

• the State of Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful;
• the State of Israel is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible;
•  the State of Israel is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, and to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
• the State of Israel has the obligation to make reparation for the damage caused to all the natural or legal persons concerned in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
•  all States are under an obligation not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by the continued presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
• international organizations, including the United Nations, are under an obligation not to recognize as legal the situation arising from the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
•  the United Nations, and especially the General Assembly, which requested this opinion, and the Security Council, should consider the precise modalities and further action required to bring to an end as rapidly as possible the unlawful presence of the State of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

And as Robertson faces a barrage of complaints from MSPs, MPs and SNP members, a petition is doing the rounds calling for his resignation: Respect for International law – Angus Robertson must resign

Fiona Grahame