SNP referendum plans on hold after parliamentary defeat
Opposition parties reject SNP referendum plans
The Scottish National Party
Monday 09 March 2009, The Journal Issue 20
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The Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and the Labour Party have voted to ditch SNP plans for a referendum on Scottish independence until after the next election in 2011.
The vote, which was a Lib Dem amendment to a Labour-led discussion on the failures of the Scottish government, saw the SNP lose by 47 votes to 72.
The Scottish government is in the process of carrying out a consultation on the question of Scottish independence called the "National Conversation."
Scotland's newly appointed constitution minister, Mike Russell called the vote a "basic democracy," while previous polls suggest that a majority of Scots support a public vote on the question of independence.
However, to move forward on the issue the SNP government, which holds only 47 out 129 seats in Holyrood, needed the backing of other political parties.
Commenting on the outcome, an SNP spokesperson said that those voting against constituted “an anti-democratic cabal [which] shows contempt for the people and their right to choose Scotland’s future.”
First Minister Alex Salmond also pointed out the previous support given to a referendum by high-profile members of the opposition parties such as Labour's current leader Iain Gray and his predecessor Wendy Alexander, as well as Lib Dem back-bencher John Farquhar Munro, who came out in favour of a vote days after Tavish Scott, the party leader, had ruled it out.
Mike Rumbles, the Lib Dem's chief whip, highlighted concerns of the current economic climate as being at the heart of the opposition to a referendum, saying: “The nationalists need to respect the clear will of the Scottish parliament, swallow their pride and realise that they should be promoting economic recovery, not their obsession with separation.”
Those in favour of a referendum believe that independence would in fact bolster the Scottish economy.
“The reality is that the more economic and financial powers Scotland has, the better able we will be to overcome the economic downturn,” the SNP’s chief whip, Kenneth Gibson said.
The Scottish government recently abandoned its plans for a local income tax to replace council tax in the face of united opposition parties.
Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: "The SNP cupboard is bare. The last vestige of a flagship policy has been shot to pieces."
Wendy Alexander, former Scottish Labour party leader, May 2008: "I don't fear the verdict of the Scottish people. Bring it on."
Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, May 2008:
"I want all Unionist parties to work not only to push the case for the Union but to expose the dangers of seperation."
Alex Salmond, First Minister, March 2008:
"We are aware — as we will always be — of the sovereignty of our people, that the decisions on Scotland's future lie ultimately with those living and working in Scotland – and with no one else."
Annabel Goldie, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, February 2009:
"An independence referendum is not on our agenda."
Iain Gray, Scottish Labour party leader, March 2009:
"There has never been a single opinion poll showing the Scottish public want it and there is no majority in parliament for it. Let's finish the job of tearing up this manifesto and dump independence too."
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Jim Murphy is reported also to have said that the Labour Party have "A patriotism that is welcoming, tolerant, open and liberal.
That will be the open tolerant Labour Party that for fifty years, colluded with the Tories in their common agenda - who in the 70s resorted to spying on legal and peaceful demonstrations to discredit the SNP, and were so afraid that an independent Scotland could be among the richest countries in Europe, that they stamped the evidence "Secret" and buried it in the archives?
Not my analysis, but that of the excellent Caledonian TV /BBC Alba programme "Diomhair" which can still be seen on BBC iPlayer at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00g8hg3/Diomhair/
And yet hardly a cheep from the Fourth Estate in Scotland. Had this been an investigation in to a few anti English slogans, we would have had an outcry in the Scottish unionist media, investigative reports on Newsnight.
BBC Alba are to be congratulated on having the guts to commission such a programme, but shame on the rest of the Scottish media for not doing a follow up on some of the sensational revelations of the great British state. Watch the programme. It may be the last time you will have the chance.
Anna nothing has been put on hold, this latest unionist ploy does not affect the presentation of the Bill in 2010 as laid out in the SNP manifesto.
This unionist 'show of strength' is like a wee man insulting and threatening a larger man from the other side of a canal. He can be very brave at that point.
However when they are both face to face he tends to sing a different song as the unionists will next year following SNP progress in the European Elections, council by elections, opinion polls and Labour being battered from pillar to post as the worst recession in living memory really begins to bite and unemployment screams towards 3 million.
Then you will see a chastened Labour Party singing a different tune, especially with a general election only a few months away at that point.
They wouldn't dare deny the will of the people. Lib Dem Mike Rumbles states: “The nationalists need to respect the clear will of the Scottish parliament..." But he needs to realise that even Parliament is subject to the will of the people and the people want a Referendum.
David McCann is absolutely right, this TV ALBA documentary is dynamite. If you don't have time to watch the full hour, at least watch the final 20 minutes on England's (successful) attempts to lie to the Scots about the value and amount of Scottish Oil and Gas.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00g8hg3/Diomhair/
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