Renewal of Trident ‘could trigger poll’
ALEX Salmond has claimed that a second referendum on independence could be called if Trident is renewed – even though a majority of Scots want spending on nuclear weapons to continue.
The former First Minister said that a vote from the Westminster parties to spend more money on a new fleet of submarines on the Clyde – a move which the SNP opposes – could spark renewed demands for another poll. He says it is one of four different issues which could trigger a referendum rerun.
Other potential triggers he lists are a UK exit from the European Union if Scotland votes to stay, a failure to deliver substantial new powers to Holyrood, and further austerity. It is the first time anyone in the SNP has suggested that a decision to renew Trident next year could spark an independence referendum.
A new YouGov poll yesterday revealed that Scots want continued spending on a nuclear missile system.
Asked if Trident renewal could then be a trigger for a second referendum, Mr Salmond said: ‘These are issues, any one of which, and a combination of them most certainly, could provide a change in material circumstances, which both identifies what Nicola has been talking about and would belie my [once in a generation] forecast of the timescale for a constitutional referendum.’
He added: ‘Lots of people are opposed to Trident; it’s in the SNP’s DNA. The idea George [Osborne] can flounce up and say “I’m announcing it before the parliamentary vote”. There are lots of people who say “Wait a minute, this is a decision that’s meant to take place [at Westminster]”.’
Sources close to Miss Sturgeon distanced themselves from Mr Salmond’s comments.
The YouGov poll showed that 24 per cent of Scots say Britain should replace Trident with an equally powerful nuclear missile system, while 29 per cent say it should be replaced by a ‘less powerful’ system which costs less. Only 37 per cent said Britain should give up nuclear weapons completely.
Meanwhile, former Better Together leader Alistair Darling has launched a scathing attack on the Tory Government and the SNP for making Scotland more divided than during the referendum last year.
In a documentary to be broadcast on STV tomorrow, the former Labour Chancellor said plans to ban Scottish MPs from voting on issues that relate to only England is ‘a piece of nonsense’ and ‘will be fatal’.
Criticising the SNP he said: ‘Half the population didn’t vote for them and a country that is divided from top to bottom where you’ve got these divisions which you do see, day in day out, it is very, very, very bad for Scotland.’