White paper paves way for independence referendum

Published on Monday 30 November 2009 08:54

FIRST Minister Alex Salmond today launched the Scottish Government's white paper paving the way for a referendum on independence – just 24 hours after a poll revealed only 20 per cent support for a go-it-alone Scotland.

The SNP wants to hold a referendum a year today – on St Andrew's Day 2010 – but looks unlikely to get a majority in parliament to allow it to do so.

Mr Salmond claimed independence offered a new 21st century "partnership of equals" between Scotland and England and would give the Scottish government and parliament the responsibilities needed to fight recession, support jobs and maximise the opportunities resulting from recovery.

However, a weekend opinion survey found only one in five people questioned wanted Scotland to become "fully independent", while 46 per cent supported more powers for Holyrood with Scotland staying inside the UK and 32 per cent wanted no change.

The Ipsos Mori poll also found that while 50 per cent supported a referendum "in a few years' time" only 25 per cent wanted one "as soon as possible".

Today's white paper sets out the case for independence, but also examines the other options open to Scotland – the status quo; the proposals of the Calman commission for some increased powers; and maximum devolution including fiscal autonomy.

Mr Salmond claimed that after a decade of devolution, there was now a "clear and consistent demand for further constitutional progress for Scotland".

He said: "The vast majority of people want to expand the responsibilities of the parliament, so that we have more powers to do more for Scotland – the economic and financial clout to fight recession and support recovery, the right to speak up for Scotland in Europe, and the ability to remove Trident nuclear weapons from our soil.

"The debate in Scottish politics is no longer between change or no change – it's about the kind of change we seek, and the right of the people to choose their future in a free and fair referendum.

"Popular opinion in Scotland has moved far beyond the status quo. Calman has also been shown to fall behind the needs of the people – with the UK Government refusing to make any progress on important issues such as air weapons this side of the election.

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The white paper does not spell out the question which voters would be asked in the referendum

but Mr Salmond said he was open to including the option of "more powers" on the ballot paper, alongside independence.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray claimed Mr Salmond was "out of touch" and Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie said the whole exercise was a "monumental waste of time".