Canon Kenyon Wright will back independence unless pro-Union parties give more clear information

Published on 29/10/2012 00:17

ONE OF the leading architects of Scottish devolution has revealed he would back independence – if there are no clear promises from pro-Union parties on more powers for Holyrood.

Canon Kenyon Wright, who headed the Constitutional Convention which formed the blueprint for devolution, said Scots must understand what a “No” vote would mean in the referendum in 2014.

The canon now lives south of the Border for family reasons and will not have a vote, but said that “people with a long memory” had suspicions about “hints” of more powers, if independence was rejected, which had been made by senior figures on the pro-Union side, including David Cameron. Similar commitments were made ahead of the 1979 devolution referendum, but these never materialised.

Canon Wright said he would have preferred to have seen an option on the ballot paper that offered more powers to Scots.

But he added: “If the No campaign do not produce clear, binding promises as to what they would do should they win, then I would vote for independence.”

Canon Wright also called on both sides of the independence debate to set out to Scots exactly what their vote would mean in 2014.

Nationalist MSP Bruce Crawford, who is chairing Holyrood’s new Referendum Bill committee, yesterday welcomed the cleric’s intervention.

“Canon Wright is absolutely correct to say that supporters of independence should spell out what we believe Scotland could and should achieve with the opportunities of independence – and the Scottish Government will publish a detailed white paper with its vision next year,” he said.

“But equally, the anti-independence parties need to tell the people of Scotland what voting No will mean – vague promises of jam tomorrow are just not good enough.”