WATCH: Standing ovation for gay SNP MEP’s ‘I beg you’ speech
A gay SNP MEP received a standing ovation, as he begged European colleagues not to “let Scotland down”.
Alyn Smith, one of two Nationalists in the European Parliament, spoke in an emergency debate about last week’s EU referendum. The UK voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48%, though Scotland chose to stay by 62% to 38%.
Mr Smith urged MEPs to work with the people of Scotland to help them continue the 43 year membership that the UK had chosen to end.
“I want my country to be internationalist, cooperative, ecological, fair, European,” he said.
“And the people of Scotland, along with the people of Northern Ireland and the people of London, and lots and lots of people in Wales and England also, voted to remain within our family of nations.
“I demand that that status and that esprit European be respected.
“But colleagues, there are a lot of things to be negotiated. We will need cool heads and warm hearts. But please, remember this: Scotland, did not let you down.
“Please, I beg you, chers collègues, do not let Scotland down now.”
He also won applause from the chamber when he said he was “proudly Scottish and proudly European”.
In other news:
- Nicola Sturgeon has said that Scotland could block the UK’s exit from the EU
- EU states push the UK to initiate quick ‘divorce’ from EU
- Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland will ‘immediately’ go into talks with EU states to maintain membership
Earlier in the debate, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said that “little people” had rejected “big politics” to get their country back.
He added: “When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me. Well, I have to say, you’re not laughing now are you?”
Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP, is seeking to continue Scotland’s EU membership and has said that a second independence referendum is “very much on the table”.
Watch the speech below:
