Scottish independence referendum: Cameron denies ‘dictating’ to Scotland

DAVID Cameron has denied accusations from the Scottish National Party that he is trying to “dictate” to Scotland over an independence referendum, as the political row over the issue intensified this week.

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Cameron is “seeking to interfere” with the democratic rights of the Scottish people by trying to impose conditions on the format and timing of an independence referendum.

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish people had “overwhelmingly” voted the SNP into power in Holyrood last year, returning the nationalist party with a majority.

And she said there was “clarity” north of the border about the SNP commitment to hold the referendum in the second half of the Parliament.

Her comments came as the Westminster cabinet today debates the matter and decides whether to set a time-limit on the vote, and also whether to permit a third option of greater powers to be devolved to Scotland without full independence.

Reports suggest the Government in Westminster is considering offering the Scottish Parliament the chance to hold a legally binding referendum but only on the basis of a simple yes or no question and if it is held within a certain timeframe, thought to be 18 months.

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This morning Mr Cameron claimed he is prepared to work in tandem with Holyrood on the matter. “I think it is a least rational to put to the Scottish people ‘Would it be better to have a more fair and decisive question put earlier?”’ he told Sky News’s Boulton and Co.

“We are not going to dictate this. We have first of all got to resolve this legal uncertainty and then try and work with the Scottish Government on making sure there is a fair, clear and decisive outcome.”

But Ms Sturgeon told Today: “This is a blatant attempt to interfere in the decision that is really one for the Scottish Government in terms of the timing of the referendum and for the Scottish people in terms of the outcome.

“We were elected on the basis of our commitment to have a referendum in the second half of this parliamentary term.

“This is about Westminster seeking to interfere.

“We said very clearly in the election that our immediate priority if elected would be to seek to strengthen the Scotland Bill, currently going through the Westminster Parliament, to give the Scottish Parliament important economic job-creating powers, a referendum on independence in the second half of this parliamentary term.”

Ms Sturgeon said “most people” in Scotland listening to Mr Cameron would only hear a London-based, Tory-led Government trying to intervene on Scottish decision-making.

And she said that, while the SNP would prefer a simple yes or no question, there was a “significant body of opinion” behind a third option for financial independence for Scotland within the United Kingdom.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The decision on the future of Scotland should be for the Scottish people. That’s democracy.

“We have never ruled out a second question to give people in Scotland maximum choice.”