A FORMER leader of the SNP has launched an extraordinary attack on François Hollande, accusing the French President of reneging on a "debt of honour" his people owe to Scotland.
Gordon Wilson, who led the party for 11 years and was succeeded by Alex Salmond, labelled the head of state a "disgrace to France" after he said he would refuse to negotiate direct with Nicola Sturgeon in her drive to hang on to Scotland's EU status.
Picture: Gordon Wilson
The former MP said that "gratitude is in order" from France on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the battle of the Somme, raising sacrifices Scottish soldiers had made to protect France across the two world wars and the historic 'Auld Alliance'.
The SNP leadership immediately distanced themselves from the inflammatory comments. A spokesman for Nicola Sturgeon said: "I'll let Mr Wilson speak for himself and I think the First Minister will as well." Christian Allard, the French born former SNP MSP, also refuted Mr Wilson's statement and claimed the Auld Alliance is "very much alive" with Ms Sturgeon "conquering hearts and minds across Europe."
Mr Hollande, delivering a blow to Ms Sturgeon after she flew to Brussels on an unprecedented charm offensive following last week's EU referendum, said on Wednesday: "The negotiations will be conducted with the United Kingdom, not with a part of the United Kingdom".
Mr Wilson said: "Has he forgotten the Auld Alliance that Scotland had with France for centuries when Scottish troops defended the Kingdom of France again and again? Such was the loss of Scottish lives in their defence that Scots as a country were given the remarkable right to French citizenship.
"Has he also forgotten the sacrifice that Scottish soldiers made in the defence of France during the first war? Or the Saint Valery and Normandy in the second?
"On the eve of the battle of the Somme, when gratitude is in order, President Hollande is a disgrace to France. The French people have a debt of honour to Scotland. They are a great and noble nation. It is time for them to repay it or be damned as dishonourable."
Picture: Christian Allard
Mr Allard, who served in Holyrood between 2013 and 2016, said there is significant support in France for Ms Sturgeon's bid to keep Scotland in the EU.
He added: "I have met with many French journalists and spoke to French politicians the last few days, all supporting Scotland's will to stay in the European Union. Senators, French MPs, all on the side of the people of Scotland.
"I can confirm that our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon is conquering hearts and minds across Europe. The Auld Alliance is very much alive, I would like to rename it, the new alliance, an alliance that is stretching across the 27 other EU member states.
"As the French philosopher Voltaire said, 'We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation'. Indeed, the people across Europe are looking today at Scotland for our ideas of a European Union, one of people free to live and to work across 28 member states, one for Europe's next generation."
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