Scottish MPs who met with Orange Order named

Brethren together: Gaffney, Bruce and Carmichael

A TORY Scotland Office minister met with the Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland ahead of a key Brexit vote at Westminster.

Lord (Ian) Duncan, who was parliamentary under secretary of state at the Scotland and Northern Ireland offices, was one of a handful of Scottish politicians lobbied at a meeting with top Orange Order officials from different parts of the UK ahead of the meaningful vote on Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement.

Wrong turn: Tory peer Lord Duncan

According to the Lodge’s in-house magazine The Torch, “the Grand Masters met with politicians and their advisers from across the party spectrum”.

Among the “notable Scottish politicians” present, it says, were Scottish Labour MP Hugh Gaffney and LibDem peer Malcolm Bruce, and his MP colleague Alistair Carmichael – although the magazine mistakenly calls him Alistair Campbell.

Though none of the SNP’s MPs were willing to meet them. The Torch article says: “The SNP snubbed the Orange delegation. Despite their notorious posturing on Brexit, not one nationalist MP showed face.”

The Orangemen say their intention was to “impress upon politicians how seriously the Order viewed” the “many flaws” in May’s deal.

The article said: “In particular, the proposal to leave Northern Ireland partly in the EU when the rest of the UK leaves effectively draws a border down the Irish Sea.”

It adds: “Not only would it be a betrayal of Northern Ireland, it would leave an open door to demands for a similar hybrid arrangement for Scotland and another independence referendum.”

The Orangemen also claim to have had some influence in their negotiations, with the article taking credit for the historic defeat that saw the then Prime Minister lose by 230 votes. 

Although her replacement, Boris Johnson has since sold them out, agreeing to leave Northern Ireland in a customs union with the Republic of Ireland and the EU, while the rest of the UK leaves.

It's believed Orangemen tried to influence Johnson through meetings with Arlene Foster, by talking tough to her and claiming there would be violence if they weren't listened to, but Tory sources say the Prime Minister laughed it off before going ahead and signing his deal.

The Orange Order claim to have around 50,000 members though numbers are believed to be nearer 12,000. 

Despite being in terminal decline, they still boast to have around 600 lodges across Scotland, mostly in the central belt and with many of them, their doors have been locked for years with buildings falling into decay.

Although the sectarian institution is largely ignored and brushed under the carpet by a Scottish political class said to be embarrassed by the connections many older Scots are said to have had with them, the lodge still claim to be an influential and powerful organisation. 

Although much of their witterings are often likened to an embarrassing older relative, trying to relive past 'glories'.

The Order remained neutral during the 2016 EU referendum but brayed that it would “never be neutral on the Union”...

... heard it