SNP fails to address fears of election watchdog
The Welsh Assembly referendum about extending its powers was overseen by the Electoral Commission. Picture: PA
SCOTTISH Government ministers have failed to speak to the UK’s election watchdog over concerns it expressed last year on plans to hold an independence referendum.
Giving evidence to a new Commons inquiry on the proposed referendum, the Electoral Commission said it had expressed fears about the financial and staffing independence of the planned vote from the draft legislation put forward by the Scottish Government prior to the last Holyrood election.
Electoral commissioner John McCormick, who was giving evidence to the Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee, said SNP ministers had not contacted the commission about these concerns.
First Minister Alex Salmond has so far resisted pressure for the referendum to be overseen by the Electoral Commission if it is organised by Holyrood.
The commission oversaw the Welsh Referendum on extending powers for its Assembly and the electoral reform referendum on the alternative vote. The SNP wants to set up a Scottish body to oversee the vote, leading to concerns the referendum might not be properly scrutinised.
Mr McCormick said he could “not see any reason why the Electoral Commission would not be trusted” with the independence referendum, but pointed out that “different countries run referendums differently”.
However, he accepted an offer by committee chairman Ian Davidson to scrutinise the referendum details such as the wording of the questions.
The commission refused to be drawn on the problems of setting more than one question as planned by the SNP in a multi-option referendum including devolution max.
Mr McCormick said the questions would need to be clear and pointed out a lot of work had been put in to the wording of the Welsh referendum question.
Commission representatives were also cautious about the issue of allowing 16-year-olds to vote in the referendum.
Andrew Scallan, the commission’s director of electoral administration, said the process of registering new voters was “already complicated” and this move would “complicate it further”.
MPs on the committee, which is currently being boycotted by the SNP, expressed “surprise and concern” over the failure of the Scottish Government to engage with the Electoral Commission and questions were asked over whether the referendum would meet the highest standards. Mr Davidson said: “I can’t understand why the Scottish Government would want to exclude the one body in the UK which has an expertise in running elections.
“It leads to great concerns that the referendum when it happens will not be run to the highest international standards.”
Tory Scotland Office minister David Mundell has made an offer to the Scottish Government to change the law to allow the Electoral Commission to be involved in a Holyrood-run poll.
Currently an official referendum would have to be called by Westminster which means that a Holyrood poll would have no legal status which bars involvement by the commission. This has led to suggestions that the UK Government may step in to call the referendum itself.
Last night, a Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Scottish Government has said it will take account of responses to the consultation and the experiences of the recent Welsh Assembly and AV referendums in developing final proposals for an independence referendum.
“The Scottish Government will ensure the referendum is run to the highest international standards.”
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Comments
There are 140 comments to this article
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bannerfield
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 07:47 PMI've just seen the wonderful post at #52. It reads like a nationalist "buzzword bingo" card: "quislings", "puppet", "inferior race". I particularly like "running dogs". The psychological disorders that lie behind nationalism are all there to see
Thursday 8th December 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 07:34 PM132 Cynicus - I was just trying to keep you right. I wouldn't like to see you in jail. You are totally spot on in everything you say. Don't worry about Iain Davidson everyone knows he's an absolute poppet and that he would never bully anyone or make lewd remarks. Iain Davidson is a very nice man and so are you.
Col.Blimp III
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 06:31 PMThis article seems to be suggesting that The Electoral Commission is a fit and competent body, that is well suited to the task of overseeing an election ... how bizarre is that? -----------Registration to vote entails someone called "The Householder" writing some names on the form that is sent to an address that he has the key for - no checks are made to determine whether the names correspond to actual persons who lives there, or if The Householder is who he says he is. ---- Voting consists of showing up at a polling station and claiming that you are someone who's name is on the register - no checks are made to determine if you are who you say you are, or whether the person you claim to be is living, dead or has ever even existed. ---------- Then there is the abomination known as postal and proxy voting.......Not forgetting the dodgy vote counting machines ® Neil Kinnock.
Geomac
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 05:29 PMHow about the following simple question on the ballot paper? Do you support independence to enable Scotland to get its hands on North Sea oil revenues so that every Scot can live in luxury and never have to work again? Yes or No
Geomac
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 05:26 PMPending Moderation
Electric Hermit
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 05:17 PM131 grahamski "129 What has this got to do with SNP proposals for Scotland to separate from the rest of the UK? The SNP are desperate to talk about anything other than separation. Can you guess why yet?" - The British Labour & Unionist Party is desperate to talk about anything other than their vision for Scotland's future. We don't have to guess why. It's because they have no vision. They just want to turn the clock back to the days when they dominated Scotland's politics. And they can't understand why nobody else is interested in doing so.
Electric Hermit
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 05:13 PM123 grahamski "The SNP have still to convince the majority of Scots that independence will be in our best interests." - The British Labour & Unionist Party has still to convince the majority of the people of Scotland (not only "Scots" you ignorant oaf") that reverting to the hegemony of the British Labour & Unionist Party is in our best interest. Given the obscene record of the party to which you give such unquestioning loyalty, I'd say you've got the biggest hurdle to cross. when are you going to make a start? When are you and your fellow lapdogs going to learn that just because you adopt the "Labour" brand you are not fooling anybody as to your socialist credentials. Scotland wants a left-of-centre social democratic government. Long gone are the days when the British Labour & Unionist Party offered that option. All you and your self-serving troughers promise us is Toryism draped in a red flag. You have betrayed us. You are not about to be forgiven. And the more you demand forgiveness as a right the longer you put off the day when any self-respecting socialist can give you their vote.
Electric Hermit
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 05:04 PM124 grahamski "122 ha ha ha" - I accept that this is as close as you could get to a meaningful response.
Cynicus
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 03:31 PM110 Blackberry Tart Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 11:52 AM I see Cynicus's libelous post No 6 has been modded. I think Cynicus is in trouble with the law. _______________________________________________________ I don't think so. In what way was it defamatory? It was a mixture of hard fact and fair comment -relatively mild fair comment given the PRIMA FACIE evidence of a criminal conspiracy to smear and harrass Ian Davidson being orchestrated by SNP office-bearers.
grahamski
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 02:42 PM129 What has this got to do with SNP proposals for Scotland to separate from the rest of the UK? The SNP are desperate to talk about anything other than separation. Can you guess why yet?
footdee
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 02:30 PMLord george is angry ,someone called him a drunk ---i wonder why
deliverus
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 02:21 PM127grahamski-----Why are you avoiding the question?You claim to support the ststus quo and now here are people going to change that through the Scotland bill and you have no view on the matter,strange.
Cynicus
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 02:13 PM"#6 Cynicus _________________" Now we can discern the real motives of the LIAR, Eilidh Whiteford, in her attempt to smear Ian Davidson MP"_____________________________________________________________________________________________________........................................................................................................ Do you think your libel above, smearingof Dr Whiteford, is the best way for you to proceed?"-#23, Christian Wright ____________________________________________________ This is role-reversal with a vengeance. The appalling Eilidh Whiteford has been exposed as a LIAR and the Queen of Smear. I could not possibly compete with her. ____________________________________________________ "Since the truth is an absolute defense against a suit for libel, can I give you this opportunity to cite specifically what statements of Dr Whiteford's testimony were deliberately untruthful and designed to mislead?" ____________________________________________________ ARE YOU SERIOUS? Do you deny her claim that Mr Davidson threatened her with a "doing"? Do you seriously deny that this was a lie and a deliberate slur on Mr Davidson's character? ____________________________________________________ Would you like to take this opportunity to deplore the attempt by SNP low-heid yin , Gail Lythgoe, to orchestrate a concert party of the sisterhood to harass Mr Davidson?
grahamski
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 02:08 PM126 What's this got to do with Labour? The SNP proposed that Scotland should separate from the rest of the UK. It's up to them to make the case for such a separation. So far they seem unwilling or unable to make that case. They also seem incapable of coming up with a date or even a question. There is really only so much gittering about you can get away with before you are forever branded a ditherer...
deliverus
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 01:59 PM124grahamski----Labour is only interested in the status quo? So why are you tinkering at the edges of the Scotland bill. If the committee looking into this come up with changes to the status quo then will you argue for or against these changes to the status quo?
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