UK Embassies Fail Scotland On St Andrew's Day

At the Scottish National Party's Westminster Lobby Briefing today [Thursday], SNP Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mr Angus Robertson MP published a survey of 27 UK embassies and trade offices across Europe and North America, which reveals that only ONE – the British embassy in Ireland – is doing anything to promote Scotland and Scottish products on St Andrew's Day.

Comments from other embassies ranged from "When is St Andrew's Day?" to "There is a St Andrew's church here, they'll be doing something" to "But they (Scotland) are devolved now!".

Mr Robertson tabled a Westminster Motion today, calling for St Andrew's Day to be a national public holiday in Scotland.

Mr Robertson said:

"The SNP have surveyed 27 UK embassies in all of the European Union countries, the EU accession countries, and in North America.

"With the honourable exception of the embassy in Ireland – where there is to be a reception hosted by the Commercial Section – NOT A SINGLE ONE is doing ANYTHING to promote Scotland and Scottish produce on our national day. That is a deplorable missed opportunity, which speaks volumes for the failure of the British diplomatic service to represent Scotland properly.

"Some of the responses from what are supposed to be OUR embassies were bizarre. They ranged from 'Never had one' to 'When is St Andrew's Day?' to 'the St Andrew's church will be doing something' to 'But they [Scotland] are devolved now!'

"The embassy in Poland informed us that St Andrew's Day is a Polish national holiday – even though he isn't even their patron saint – yet we don't celebrate our own national day in Scotland with a public holiday.

"We should use our national day as a platform to promote Scottish interests at home and worldwide, and we need international representation that is fully engaged with this important exercise. That is what other small nations – notably Ireland – do to their enormous economic and cultural benefit.

"The SNP are renewing our call for St Andrew's Day to be a national public holiday in Scotland, and will be pressing Government Ministers to ensure that the embassies get their act together for next year."