Holyrood vetoes SNP referendum bid

Published on Thursday 5 March 2009 17:28

MSPs today voted by 72 to 47, with one abstention, to call on the Scottish Government to abandon plans for a Referendum Bill on independence.

The amendment was added to a Labour motion noting "broken" SNP election promises, which was passed in a 72 to 47 vote with one abstention.

MSPs then voted by 62 to 16, with 41 abstentions, to back a response by the Local Government and Communities Committee on the proposed national planning framework.

The motion was amended by Labour calls to include a high-speed rail link in a list of planning priorities.

MSPs voted 64 to 14, with 42 abstentions, in favour of Tory calls to remove references to technology in the framework.

They voted 65 to 54, with one abstention, to note that the framework does not support construction of new nuclear power stations in Scotland.

MSPs unanimously backed a legislative consent motion on the UK Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill.