SNP plans for a referendum on independence before next year’s elections to the Scottish Parliament are in a state of disarray according to reports in Scotland on Sunday.
SNP plans for a referendum on independence before next year’s elections to the Scottish Parliament are in a state of disarray according to reports in Scotland on Sunday.
Following the publication of the Holyrood Government’s White Paper on a bill to provide for a referendum on independence, Alex Salmond outlined a timetable of a nine-week consultation, and a bill presented to MSPs before the summer recess. The timetable was designed to implement the SNP’s manifesto pledge (page 15) to hold a vote on independence this year.
However, with the Scottish Parliament due to rise for the summer break at the end of this week, Scotland on Sunday has revealed there is no chance of a bill being introduced this week as planned, with difficulties over the wording of the second question in such a vote on further powers short of independence believed to be partly to blame.
The news emerged just days after the first minister admitted:
“The centre of gravity in Scottish politics is clearly currently not independence. You must campaign for what is good for Scotland as well as campaigning for independence.”
Responding to the softening in the SNP’s position, one of its own MSPs, Jim Sillars, was clearly disappointed by his leader’s announcement, declaring:
“I am amazed that Alex Salmond cannot seize the opportunity that exists right now for independence.”
The opposition, however, have argued that the SNP are putting a vote off because they know they will lose it, with polling in March showing support for independence had slumped to a new low.
Speaking for Labour, the party’s spokesperson on the Constitution, Pauline McNeil, said:
“This was always just a gimmick designed to keep the issue alive. If they were serious about putting the question to the people, they would have published the bill by now and tabled it in parliament. Perhaps they know there is no support for an independence referendum in any form or shape.”
For the Conservatives, David McLetchie similarly responded:
“The referendum has now been reduced to a pre-election stunt. This has been delayed again because Alex Salmond knows, following the General Election result, there is obviously no appetite for independence. All there is left is grandstanding.”
Reacting to the report, however, the Scottish Government has insisted they remain committed to a referendum, and believe a vote can still take place before the next elections to the Scottish Parliament. A spokesman told Scotland on Sunday:
“We are analysing the responses to the draft Referendum Bill, and will publish a final bill in good time so that a referendum can take place during this Parliament.”
Despite such a continued belief that a referendum can take place as set out in the SNP’s 2007 manifesto, it is clear Alex Salmond is beginning to concede that a vote will either not happen before the election or if it does, is unlikely to be won given the scale of public opposition to it. With that in mind, The Scotsman has pointedly concluded:
“If independence ceases to be its central ambition and aim, what then exactly is the party for?”
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9 Responses to “Salmond: Centre of gravity in Scottish politics “clearly” not independence”
Jae Kay
RT @leftfootfwd: Salmond: Centre of gravity in Scottish politics "clearly" not independence http://bit.ly/bYFtX2 – Huzzah!!
Matt Clay
The following letter in the Herald on Monday from Alex Salmond sets the record straight – but then I doubt you’ll give this the same time as the misquoted Scotland on Sunday article…
From The Herald, Monday June 28, a letter from Alex Salmond:
“Your report on my interview with another newspaper was headlined, in quotation marks, “Independence is not key aim’” (Herald, June 26), despite the fact that no-one – least of all myself – actually said this, and the reference to independence “no longer” being the SNP’s central aim was just silly.
I was in fact making exactly the opposite point – that the centre of gravity in Scottish politics is shifting towards independence not away from it.
A generation ago it was for an Assembly, then for a Parliament, then for Calman, now for fiscal responsibility, which is currently galvanising a range of opinion across Scottish society.
At each stage in that road, the SNP campaigned in favour of more powers for Scotland as well as pursuing the independence campaign. There has never been any contradiction in doing that – nor is there now.
Indeed, one of the essential ingredients of gaining more power for Scotland is the vigour of the independence campaign. It is the engine which fires the debate.
The publication of the Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland report – showing in 2008/09 a Scottish current budget surplus of £1.3 billion, compared to a UK current budget deficit of £48.9 billion – is a strong illustration of the argument which both increases the urgency of fiscal responsibility as an alternative to a dismal decade of Westminster spending cuts, and also shifts the centre of gravity in Scottish politics towards independence.
Alex Salmond, Edinburgh.
Ed Jacobs
So why has Alex Salmond not introduced the bill for a vote yet? He said that it would be introduced before the Scottish parliament before the Summer. Whats happened?
Salmond: Centre of gravity in Scottish politics “clearly” not independence « The best Labour blogs
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