Labour rejects referendum deal
LABOUR leaders have ruled out a deal that would allow the SNP to hold another referendum in return for helping Ed Miliband f orm t he next UK government.
As the Scottish Daily Mail revealed yesterday, Alex Salmond will demand that Holyrood i s given control over future elections and referendums if he finds himself as ‘kingmaker’ in a hung parliament.
He is expected to stand for Westminster and hopes the arithmetic will force Labour to do a deal with his MPs.
‘There is plenty of scope to find things which are really important to you but are really not that important to the government,’ he said.
‘It wouldn’t be the greatest tragedy in the world, for example, for Westminster to accept the reality that the Scottish parliament should run i ts own elections, i ts own referendum.’
But a senior Labour source said: ‘Alex Salmond needs to get a grip.
‘More than two million people just voted to reject independence, and a matter of weeks ago he said that this would settle the question once and for all.
‘The people of Scotland settled this question on September 18 and now they want their politicians focused on the bread and butter issues that affect their lives. Another referendum isn’t an option.’
Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran added: ‘Alex Salmond’s priorities are clear, but they are all wrong.
‘Rather than make a living wage, more jobs and more investment in our NHS his key concerns, yet again the First Minister obsesses about independence.
‘When Nicola Sturgeon takes office the people of Scotland don’t want more rhetoric about another referendum.
‘What people need to hear is how she will fix the problems in our schools and NHS, get people back into work and help families living in poverty.’
The SNP will not enter a formal coalition with the Tories, but has not ruled out a deal with Labour.
However, former SNP l eader Gordon Wilson will make a speech in Perth today in which he will warn against any pact.
‘Of course, in general political terms that will be possible, but there is no way the SNP could support the budget cuts of £15billion agreed by Ed Balls, the Labour Shadow Chancellor with the Tories,’ he will say.
‘It would be political suicide in the run-up to the 2016 Scottish General Election for SNP MPs to support Labour cuts which will make Scotland worse off.’