THE BATTLE over the timing of a Scottish independence referendum has intensified after British prime minister David Cameron was told that legislation passed in 1998 leaves a decision on a date in the hands of Westminster, not the Scottish parliament.
Though the Scottish National Party did not emphasise the referendum in its campaign last year, when it won an outright majority at Holyrood, it has repeatedly said it wants to hold it during 2014.
The Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition in London believes that a quickly held poll offering a straight vote on independence would fail, while Alex Salmond favours a 2014 date – timed to coincide with the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn – and a referendum offering either independence or greater autonomy.
Making clear he is ready to push for an earlier date, Mr Cameron, speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, said he would “be setting out clearly what the legal situation is” over coming days.
“I think it’s very unfair on the Scottish people themselves who don’t really know when this question is going to be asked, what the question is going to be, who’s responsible for asking it. And I think we owe the Scottish people something that is fair, legal and decisive.
“Scotland cannot afford – literally cannot afford – a long period of dithering and delay from Alex Salmond, because what that will cost is jobs and growth in the Scottish economy. It shouldn’t take all this time to get round to calling a referendum, given the economic damage that that will cost.”
Saying that a break-up of the union would “be desperately sad”, Mr Cameron vowed to do everything possible to persuade Scots to stay in the United Kingdom: “I think he knows the Scottish people at heart do not want a full separation.”
However, Mr Salmond retorted: “The position is very clear – the Scottish government achieved an overwhelming mandate from the people of Scotland to hold the referendum in the second half of this parliamentary term, and that is exactly what we will do.”
Members of the House of Lords, currently debating legislation on Scotland, have put down amendments that would grant Edinburgh powers to set the date, but only if it does so before the end of 2013, and if they allow Scots living elsewhere in the UK the right to vote.
Mr Salmond argues only Scots living in Scotland should vote, while the SNP also favours giving voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds, who tend to be more sympathetic toward independence.
The eligibility amendment, proposed by an English-resident but Scottish-born peer, could be crucial since there are 750,000 Scots living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, compared to just four million voters in Scotland.
Ridiculing Mr Salmond’s attempts to harvest sentiment from the Bannockburn anniversary – Scotland’s biggest victory over English forces – former Scottish secretary of state Conservative Lord Forsyth said the idea that “the fate of the UK” should be decided by “the date of a medieval battle” would “be laughable if it wasn’t so serious”.
Supporting Mr Cameron, Liberal Democrats deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said Scots wanted more home rule, but did not want to quit the union: “It is the extremists who want to yank Scotland out of the UK tomorrow, or say there should be no further change at all.”
