Lib Dems want to ban Indyref2 for length of this parliament

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have set plans in motion to block another referendum on independence in the wake of Thursday's general election result.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie.Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie.

The party are seeking to move towards a formal vote in Holyrood that would bind the SNP not to hold another plebiscite within the lifetime of the current parliamentary term.

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Buoyed by the victories for pro-Union candidates at the election, opposition parties seem reluctant to wait until the end of the ‘reflection’ Nicola Sturgeon promised to undertake following a disappointing night for her party.

Any motion blocking another referendum would likely fall in a vote, as the Scottish Greens continue to back the SNP Government’s policy.

The Times reports today that Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has written to Patrick Harvie seeking his support in blocking another referendum.

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An abstention or backing for that motion by the Greens would see a vote blocked until the end of the current parliament in 2021.

That is unlikely, however it Mr Rennie’s approach is a clear sign that the reflection of the SNP is not moving quickly enough to assuage the anti-indyref2 parties at Holyrood.

Speaking prior to the election, Mr Rennie said: “With the Scottish economy teetering on the edge of a recession, the performance of Scottish education dropping down the international rankings and mental health services failing to deliver, the last thing our country needs is another divisive and distracting independence referendum.”
A spokesmen for the Greens sia dthey had yet to receive Mr rennie’s letter but that their position had not change and they would support plans for another referendum,

The Lib Dems added three MPs to their Scottish contingent, after winning in Edinburgh West, East Dunbartonshire, and Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross in the general election on 8 June.

This was despite their vote share follow across the country.