Greens on defensive over indyref petition claim
The Green Party has been accused of “airbrushing” its commitment to gathering one million signatures on a proindependence petition before triggering a referendum.
Lib Dem MSP Alex Colehamilton made the claim ahead of next week’s two-day Holyrood debate which will see MSPS vote on Nicola Sturgeon’s bid to launch a second referendum.the SNP are relying on the support of the six Green MSPS for their propos- al to pass through parliament. Mr Cole-hamilton said: “The Greens have advocated that one million names on a petition should be the trigger for another independence referendum. That was endorsed in their manifesto just a few months ago. Now it has been airbrushed without as much as an explanation.
“By any normal standards the Greens would be unable to vote for a Section 30 next week as they have failed to even meet their own test. I accept the Greens favour independence but by their own test they do not have mandate to vote for yet another independence referendum.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Greens said: “Our manifesto could not be clearer. Greens are committed to ‘campaign for independence’ in a future referendum.
“Before the Brexit result and the reckless response by the Tory government we suggested a ‘Citizens’ Initiative’ as one way of gauging future public support – we’ve never suggested the Scottish Parliament should be stripped of its right to take a view.”