Tears at FMQs over refugee crisis

The tragic deaths of refugees fleeing Syria in Europe caused emotional scenes at First Minister’s Questions today in the Scottish Parliament.

MSPs condemned the Prime Minister’s response to the crisis, saying he lacked compassion.

Nicola Sturgeon said she had been reduced to tears by images in the press of the corpse of a Syrian boy washed up on a Turkish beach, and Labour’s Patricia Ferguson choked back tears as she read out comments by German chancellor Angela Merkel.

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Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday said he did not believe the answer to the Syrian crisis could be “achieved simply by taking more and more refugees”.

The First Minister said she was "very angry" about what she calls the "walk on by attitude" of the UK government, and invited the opposition leaders to join her at a summit with organisations including the Scottish Refugee Council tomorrow to discuss what further action the Scottish Government can take to support those refugees seeking safety in Europe.

"Let’s start with compassion, and then let’s join it with leadership. Because if we show both of these things then we can demonstrate the proud traditions Britian has in welcoming refugees have not died in the depths of a Tory debate about immigration. They are alive and well, this is a welcoming country and will not turn its backs on people who need us," an emotional Sturgeon said.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said Scotland “can speak with one voice and match our compassion with the action we are all willing to take”.

Patricia Ferguson could not hold back the tears.

“It is time that David Cameron demonstrated similar leadership and compassion, instead of continuing to turn his back on what are the most desperate people on the planet,” she said.