Scottish independence: Glasgow councillors back Holyrood right to call referendum

Councillors in Glasgow have weighed in on the row over whether Holyrood has the right to call a second referendum on Scottish independence without Westminster approval.

SNP group leader Susan Aitken said the motion was about supporting Holyrood's democratic right to call a referendum

Members of Scotland’s largest local authority backed an SNP motion today demanding “that a future independence referendum should be under the control of the Scottish Parliament”.

Susan Aitken, who leads a minority administration in the city, told councillors that the motion was not about expressing a view on independence itself, but about supporting Holyrood’s democratic right to call such a vote.

But the Scottish Conservatives slammed the debate as “a pointless gesture and massive waste of time”.

The symbolic vote in Glasgow is the latest instalment in a continuing argument between the Scottish Government and Westminster over the possibility of a second referendum on independence.

Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to call an IndyRef2 by the end of the current parliamentary term but UK Government ministers have insisted they will not grant Holyrood the powers required to make such a vote legally binding.

During sometimes heated exchanges in Glasgow’s City Chambers, members clashed over whether constitutional matters should be debated at all council level.

Asking councillors to back the motion, Ms Aitken said: “The SNP is doing the day job like no administration has done in this city in decades.”

She added: “Our day job is being constantly undermined. Our constituents are lifted up only for Westminster to pull them back down.

“Anyone who calls themselves a democrat should back this motion.”

It eventually passed with support from the Scottish Greens. Backing the motion, the party’s Martha Wardrop said: “We have to act now because of the UK Government attacking the devolution settlement.”

Conservative councillor Euan Blockley asked why 45 minutes of council time had been allocated to debate “this nonsense”. He added: “Scotland voted No”.

Tory MSP Adam Tomkins commented: “This seems to be the most pointless gesture and massive waste of time.

“We are all aware that SNP councillors will do everything possible to split up the UK, so this meaningless debate is nothing new.

“The majority of Scots do not want another independence referendum and SNP councillors in Glasgow should be concentrating on improving the services within their control.”