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Douglas Ross tried to have Traveller family evicted for being ‘very visible’
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Date: None
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has been slammed by international human rights groups and Scottish Gypsy/Traveller elders after emails uncovered by openDemocracy show he tried to have a family of Travellers evicted by the local council because their camp was “very visible”.
In the email, released to openDemocracy under the Freedom of Information Act, Ross says “the site has now been occupied for some time and is in a very visible location as you enter Moray from the west.”
He also complains that “it seems to be getting bigger” and asks the council chief executive “what plans you have to take action to remove the Travellers from the site”.
Moray Council’s head of development services replied to Ross’s email, pointing out that the camp was on private land, was “clean and tidy”, and that there had been “no complaints alleging any type of anti-social behaviour”.
The European Roma Rights group said the emails make clear that Ross has a “vendetta” against the community and “this wouldn’t be tolerated with any other ethnic minority”.
Scottish Traveller elder Lynne Tammi said the emails show Ross, “continues to wage war on any and all Gypsies and Travellers – settled or passing through his constituency. Actions and attitudes which demonstrate a complete disregard for the community’s human rights and protected characteristics.
“Indeed, from these communications at least, it would seem that his aim is to make life in Moray so difficult for Gypsies and Travellers that they will leave and not return.”
[1] Url:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/douglas-ross-tried-to-have-traveller-family-evicted-for-being-very-visible/
