Malcolm Chisholm: “If we had continuing Conservative government I think Scotland would vote for independence and I think I would as well”
Scottish independence will ‘become inevitable’ if the Conservatives remain in power, according to former minister Malcolm Chisholm.
The respected Scottish Labour veteran has said he ‘might’ vote for independence in the future if the Tory governments persist..
Chisholm said: “if we have continuing Conservative governments independence will become inevitable. I might in future vote for independence.”
He added: “If we had continuing Conservative government I think Scotland would vote for independence and I think I would as well.”
A Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times conducted in June found public support for independence was at 49% – leaving a referendum too close to call.
Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice this weekend said: “it seems that the days when unionists could claim with confidence that Scots do not want another independence referendum any time soon may have come to an end.”
“This is a significant intervention from a figure respected across the political divide.
“Just like Malcolm Chisholm, people across Scotland are looking at the Brexit mess and the prospect of more Tory governments with despair.
“Independence will give Scotland control over our own future, rather than being faced with the prospect of endless Tory governments we didn’t vote for.”
These comments come amid concern from the SNP that potential Conervative leader Boris Johnson is not a fan of the Barnett Formula, having previously referred to the system as ‘reckless’ – falsely claiming ‘the English taxpayer sends about £20 billion every year to Scotland as a kind of present’.
The Barnett Formula is a mechanism used by the Treasury to automatically adjust the amounts of public spending allocated to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to reflect changes in spending levels allocated to public services in the rest of the UK.
SNP MSP Tom Arthur said:“It is outrageous that the Tories are now plotting to use Brexit as an opportunity to railroad systematic cuts to Scotland’s budget – offering a grim insight into what Scotland can expect from the next Tory Prime Minister.
“The Tories have longed for the opportunity to hammer Scotland’s budget for years – but the people of Scotland won’t stand by while Westminster politicians plot to cut money from our vital public services to fund their disastrous no-deal Brexit.
“Yet again the mask has slipped and fatally undermined the Tories’ attempts to portray themselves as working in Scotland’s best interests. It’s time to take our future into our own hands.
“More and more voters are ready to choose a different path to secure a brighter vision for a better Scotland.”
The SNP has demanded the Tories immediately rule out wide scale funding cuts for public services in Scotland.
Danny Thompson is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Twitter here.
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7 Responses to “Is Scottish Independence ‘inevitable’ under continued Tory rule?”
nhsgp
1. The end of Labour as a ruling party in the UK
2. A push for an English parliament leads to the same
3. Will Labour ever get power in Scotland when it went down to 1 MP?
4. The English already don’t want to fund the Scots, and get insulted for doing so. So its going to go.
5. The SNP will whinge like crazy, but so what.
6. So lets hypothecate the debt and the taxes. Scottish taxes pay for Scottish services. English for English etc. You get a Barnett formula share of the debts to fund. You fund all the state pensions for those north of the border. ….
Tom Sacold
As long as the Scots put fascist nationalism ahead of a proper socialist solution to their problems will get worse.
Tom Sacold
We need a unified UK wide socialist solution to our economic problems. Narrow fascistic nationalism is not the answer.
Alasdair Macdonald
Tom Sacold is reading from the Better Together book of lies which were trotted out during the 2014 referendum.
Independence for Scotland is not ‘fascist nationalism’ but ‘civic’ nationalism and it is internationalist and outward looking unlike the xenophobic British colonialist nationalism of Labour and the Brexiteers.
Mr Malcolm Chisholm has always been an honourable man and someone who represents the kind of values Labour once stood for. I welcome to the support for independence.
With regard to NHSGP’s bluster: if he is happy to set the windbaggery aside and negotiate an amicable ending of the union I am prepared to go along. He should remember, of course that the pond sterling is underpinned by the oill, gas and renewables that are in Scottish territorial waters, which accounts for 51% of UK territory. In these waters is the bulk of the fishery and it is also where the dildo known as the Uk’s ‘nuclear deterrent’ is based.
John Browning
i find it hilarious when people like tom ( above ) comment. they’re the kind of clueless britnat that’d try to argue that john maclean was a ‘fascist nationalist’ for supporting scottish independence.