Brexit before Indyref 2, says Tory
UK ministers should not allow an independence referendum to take place before Brexit negotiations are concluded, according to a senior Scottish Tory.
But the comments made by constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins were heavily criticised by Nicola Sturgeon’s spokesman, who accused the Tories of a ‘stitch-up’ on a second independence referendum.
The power to hold an independence referendum is reserved to Westminster.
In 2014, David Cameron granted Holyrood the power to hold the vote through a so-called ‘section 30 order’.
The Scottish Government’s draft referendum bill, published last week, said that, if it introduced a formal bill in parliament, ‘it would be expected that a section 30 order would be sought and agreed, as in 2014’.
However, Mr Tomkins, a constitutional adviser to the UK Government during Mr Cameron’s time as Prime Minister, said if Miss Sturgeon demanded the power to hold a referendum, ‘it would not be unreasonable, as in the last Edinburgh agreement, that there would be a clause about when it could take place’.
Yesterday, he said: ‘If the question was going to be put on the basis of Brexit, which is what Nicola seems to be saying, I don’t think it would be fair for that question to be put until two things are clear: what kind of relationship with the EU is the UK going to have and what kind of relationship with the EU would an independent Scotland have that would be different?’
Miss Sturgeon has said that it is ‘highly likely’ another referendum will happen in response to Brexit, and has insisted it would have to take place before the UK formally leaves the EU.
Responding to Mr Tomkins’ comments, a spokesman for Miss Sturgeon said: ‘We have made it clear that Scotland must have the opportunity to vote on independence before the UK leaves the EU, if that is the chosen route — any Tory plotting to block that would only succeed in boosting support for independence.
‘Indeed, so counterproductive would such an attempted stitch-up like this be that people would be left wondering if they secretly support independence after all.’