Once in a generation referendum claim in 2014 was 'turn of phrase', says SNP MSP

Ben Macpherson said it was meant as a ‘call to action’ during the campaign

Alex Salmond's claim that the independence referendum in 2014 was a once in a generation opportunity was a turn of phrase and not meant to be taken literally, an SNP MSP has said.

Ben Macpherson, who previously served as a social security minister under Nicola Sturgeon, said it was meant as a "call to action" during the campaign, rather than a promise or vow.

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He made the comments during a University of Cambridge event at the City Chambers in Edinburgh to discuss what the next five years could hold for the future of the UK and the Union.

Scottish independence supporters march through Glasgow in 2019Scottish independence supporters march through Glasgow in 2019
Scottish independence supporters march through Glasgow in 2019 | PA

Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said he believed a second referendum will take place if and when it becomes clear independence is the settled will of the people of Scotland.

He told the event: “I think we’ll have another referendum when it is clear that independence is the settled will of the people of Scotland, in exactly the same way as back in 1997 we had a referendum effectively to confirm what we already knew, which was that everybody in Scotland wanted devolution and it was indeed the settled will.”

He added: “That referendum was held in effect to confirm what we already knew, that’s where Scotland wanted to go. And I think we will have another referendum if and when we get to that point and it’s clear a very large and lasting majority of people in Scotland want that to happen.”

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Mr Macpherson said he agreed with this. Addressing a point raised by an audience member, he said: "Just on the term 'once in a generation', to me when that was said by the then first minister and others during the 2014 referendum campaign, it was a kind of call to action. It wasn't a literal statement. It was a, 'This is a once in a generation opportunity.' It’s a turn of phrase."

He said he believed another referendum will take place “when there’s a significant polling majority that’s consistent, and it will be a confirmatory referendum”.

There has long been debate over the use of the phrase “once in a generation” during the referendum campaign, with opponents of the SNP and independence using it to argue another vote should not take place any time soon.

Mr Salmond and his team used the phrase a number of times. In his foreword to the independence white paper, he said it would be a "rare and precious moment in the history of Scotland - a once in a generation opportunity to chart a better way".

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Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, used this language to reject Ms Sturgeon’s call for a second vote in 2020, arguing "you and your predecessor made a personal promise that the 2014 independence referendum was a 'once in a generation' vote”.

However, others say the phrase was simply political rhetoric emphasising the importance of the vote, rather than a promise or vow, and that context is important.

In an interview in 2014, Mr Salmond said "the only circumstances in which you could have another referendum would be if you got an extra mandate at a subsequent general election".

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