The question fix

Far from being “a cop-out for dummies” (your report, 16 July), a two-question referendum on our constitutional future is essential if we are ever to determine the wishes of the Scottish electors with any clarity.

It is an inconvenient fact for politicians of all persuasions that the Scottish electorate is split three ways on this issue.

Successive Scottish Social Attitudes Surveys have shown that there is significant support for “more devolution” as well as for the “status quo” and for “independence”. This is the reality the politicians must recognise and accept if the referendum is to deliver a decisive result.

It would be possible to ask one simple question on “independence”. But that would deliver a decisive result only if the Referendum Act also contained a commitment to ask one simple question about “more devolution” if the majority voted No to independence in response to the first question.

It is time for the politicians to show some respect for the Scottish electorate and to stop playing party games on the number of questions. With three constitutional options it is essential to ask three questions. The politicians should accept this and get on with the bigger task of explaining what their favoured options would mean for us all.

James Gilmour

East Parkside

Edinburgh

I was surprised to read Professor Stephen Tierney’s view (your report, 16 July) that a clear majority of Scottish voters want a one-question referendum on independence.

He should perhaps have a word with John Curtice and other leading psephologists who have conducted numerous polls and provided the evidence that people do want more powers for the Scottish Parliament and they want a chance to vote on it. This evidence was also strongly confirmed in the recent poll commissioned by the Future of Scotland campaign.

The key result of that poll was that voters who support all the main political parties clearly favour a second question – 59 per cent of both Labour and SNP, and 57 per cent of Liberal Democrats.

Criticism that a second question would lead to a “fix” is only coming from those with vested interests who want to deny the people of Scotland a chance to vote on what they are telling us they want – more powers for the Scottish Parliament – and on the issues that matter most to them – employment, welfare and the economy.

The Scottish Government was elected to serve and represent the views and needs of all the people of Scotland, not just those of its own supporters.

It needs to ignore this very obvious joint campaign of both the Better Together and Yes campaigns against a second question. For its own interest, it seems intent on denying people in Scotland the chance to have a say on what most of them want.

John Downie

Scottish Council for 
Voluntary Organisations

Mansfield Place

Edinburgh