Martin Docherty-Hughes, MP for West Dunbartonshire, has been appointed to the SNP frontbench as Defence Spokesperson at the House of Commons.
Following a reshuffle of the SNP’s frontbench team by Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Martin will take over the defence brief from Dave Doogan MP.
Martin previously spent almost 5 years as the only Scottish constituency MP member of the UK Parliament Defence Select Committee.
Commenting, Martin Docherty-Hughes MP said:
“It’s a privilege to come on to the frontbench as the SNP Defence Spokesperson. After almost 5 years on the Defence Select Committee, I well know the challenges facing my new counterpart at the MoD. Scotland has a vital role to play in European security, before and after independence.
“This is a time of huge challenge for our collective security: and I will continue to support giving the people of Ukraine whatever they need to defeat Putin’s aggression and return to their 1991 borders. Their struggle is a struggle for democracy everywhere.
“Scotland is a European nation — you can’t tilt our islands of the North Atlantic off the European map. So while Labour and Tory keep their heads firmly in the sand, the SNP will be resolute in our calls for a comprehensive defence and security deal with the European Union.
“And as someone from a forces family, I know the sacrifices those in uniform make to keep us safe: yet also how they have missed out on many of the basic obligations the state owes them as public servants. In this cost of living crisis, I’ll put personnel before platforms.”
