Scottish independence referendum: don’t try to force timetable on us, SNP warns

The veiled threat came as Liberal Democrat Scottish Secretary Michael Moore prepares today to set out details of how the UK government plans to give referendum powers to Alex Salmond’s Scottish Government – but with a controversial “sunset clause” to force an early vote on independence.

In a briefing to the Cabinet yesterday, Tory Chancellor George Osborne, who is to take the lead on the referendum, said this was because of pressure from major businesses, who have claimed privately that delay on the constitutional question will destabilise the Scottish economy.

And Prime Minister David Cameron, who over the weekend adopted an aggressive new stance on the issue, insisted it was “not about riding roughshod over Scotland” but providing certainty.

However, former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish compared Mr Cameron’s referendum intervention with former Tory prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s approach to Scotland during the 1980s.

Mr McLeish accused Mr Cameron of “dictating” to Scotland, in the same way as she had done.

He said: “David Cameron is really raising the stakes by taking this ill-considered step into constitutional issues that he doesn’t understand.

“He has a poor understanding of the politics and dynamics of Scotland post-devolution and is clearly badly advised, given that his party has just one MP in Scotland.”

Mr Moore will today tell MPs the referendum will have to happen “sooner” than Mr Salmond’s preferred dates of 2014 – the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn – or 2015.

While the Scottish Secretary will not specify a date, it is understood the coalition parties and Labour would all prefer to have it by May next year.

Mr Moore will announce a three-month consultation, with the plan then being added to the Scotland Bill, which proposes greater powers for Holyrood, or, more likely, using existing powers under section 30 of the Scotland Act.

The Scotland Office insisted the move was meant to be “helpful” in ending the legal uncertainty around Holyrood being able to organise a referendum and see off any legal challenges.

But, crucially, the Scotland Office also confirmed this would mean the SNP having no excuse not to use the neutral Electoral Commission to set the rules, oversee the election and draw up the question.

Mr Salmond’s preferred option would be to have a new Scottish body appointed by Holyrood perform that role, but the SNP has pointed out that, legally, the commission could not be involved in an advisory poll.

Yesterday, Mr Moore said: “Our priority is to ensure that the decision is taken in Scotland, by people in Scotland.”

UK government sources said any attempt by the SNP to block the powers “would be extraordinary” and “mean they are preventing themselves from doing what they have said they always want to do”.

It was also suggested the veto could be circumnavigated if the temporary powers were added to the Scotland Bill currently in the Lords.

However, in a briefing yesterday, a spokesman for Mr Salmond was adamant the Nationalists opposed any attempt to force a timetable on them.

While the First Minister had gone to ground in his Aberdeenshire East constituency and was not giving interviews, his spokesman gave a strong hint that the SNP would use its majority in Holyrood to veto a section 30 handover of powers if it has a sunset clause.

He said: “They’ve [the coalition and Labour] got no mandate to determine anything at all in regard to the Scottish referendum, because they sought no position in the referendum.

“The only position that these parties have taken is that there should be no referendum; that’s been their consistent position.”

On the issue of the use of section 30, he specifically refused to rule out the use of the veto.

He said: “I’m not going to enter into any such speculation. It’s absolutely for the UK government to explain, if they possibly can, their contortions.

“That’s a statement of legislative fact, that’s part of the existing Scotland Act – a section 30 measure requires the approval of both parliaments.

He added: “We’ve said that we will stand on the position that we took in the election of holding the referendum in the second half of this parliament, and the question to the UK government is why are they seeking, on the basis of having no mandate and no authority, seeking to attach strings to that.”

Asked again whether the SNP would block the move, he said: “I’m not going to seek to explain the latest contortions of what the UK government may or may not do.”

He said there had been no contact between the two governments on the issue and added there were no plans for discussions.

• Video: Peter MacMahon on the Scottish independence referendum

• Poll: Should Downing Street set a time-limit on a Scottish independence referendum?

• Where prominent figures stand on the referendum issue

• Key dates on the road to a referendum

• What the Tweeters are saying

Meanwhile, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish people had “overwhelmingly” voted the SNP into power in Holyrood last year, returning the party with a majority, and she accused Mr Cameron of trying to interfere.

Ms Sturgeon said: “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.”

Mr Cameron insisted he was not trying to “dictate” to Scotland but said the current uncertainty over the country’s future was damaging its prospects.

He said: “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.”

New Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont also said the issue should be put to Scots sooner rather than later.

Mr Cameron’s intervention over the weekend followed months of talks with Labour, which will be part of a loose pro-UK coalition with the Tories and Lib Dems, campaigning to save the Union.

As previously revealed in The Scotsman, the parties wanted the Scottish Labour leadership issue resolved before making a move against the Nationalists.

Ms Lamont said: “We want the referendum to be held as quickly as possible and we want it to be run in Scotland.”

She said if the Prime Minister’s proposals “help there to be a quick, clear and decisive referendum result, we would welcome them”.

Last night, the Electoral Reform Society Scotland said intervention by Westminster was wrong, because the SNP had the electoral mandate to run the referendum.

Willie Sullivan, its director, said: “Both sides clearly want to fight this referendum on terrain most favourable to them.

“The key test here can’t be about which side benefits most from setting the question or date but on which body has the greatest democratic legitimacy to do so.

“The scales seem to tip in favour of the elected government of Scotland and the Scottish Parliament.”

He added: “Westminster is a parliament elected using an antiquated and unrepresentative system that does not adequately demonstrate the breadth of political views in Scotland.”