Bill Wilson MSP

Dr Bill Wilson, SNP MSP for the West of Scotland, announced today that he had lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament calling on UK banks to disassociate themselves from the US blockade of Cuba.

Dr Wilson commented, “If the reports that UK banks are boycotting Cuba are true then I would argue that they are being hypocritical.  Whilst Amnesty International has expressed concerns about Cuba, it has also expressed grave concerns about the USA.   If the banks genuinely disapprove of Cuba then they most certainly ought to disapprove of, and boycott, the USA.

“One only has to consider Abu Ghraib, rendition and the US-inspired sanctions which killed half a million Iraqi children under five years old.  Millions of Iraqis have suffered as a consequence of the actions of the USA and UK, and, furthermore, the USA has hundreds of its citizens on death row.

“The UN has overwhelmingly called for the blockade of Cuba to end.  My motion calls for the banks to respect the UN and end the blockade.

“For the USA to criticise Cuba is, some would argue, a case of the pot calling the kettle black.  Cuba has notable strengths as well as weaknesses:  the universal healthcare its citizens enjoy and its excellent environmental record being good examples of the former. In fact, Cuba is the only country in the world to meet minimum criteria for sustainable development!”

Dr Wilson concluded his remarks by saying, “For these reasons I urge UK banks to resist USA bullying and publicly repudiate that country’s boycott of Cuba.  We should be assisting the growth of democracy in Cuba, not attacking the country.”

Notes to Editors

1.  Text of the Motion

Short Title: Banks and the US Blockade of Cuba

S3M-02356 Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): That the Parliament
 notes with concern reports that UK-based banks, including Lloyds TSB, Barclays Bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC, are complying with the US blockade of Cuba that was condemned by the United Nations in 2007 by a vote of 184 to four and calls on all banks to respect the institution of the United Nations and immediately disassociate themselves from the US blockade.

2.  Dr Wilson’s recent relevant press releases

Lloyds TSB Scotland: “evasion” re policy on Scottish companies trading with Cuba
MSP Congratulates Cuba re Sustainable Development

3.  Background information

UK Banks Accused Of Boycotting Cuba
Near-unanimous vote at UN to repudiate US blockade of Cuba