I was a Yes voter. But SNP deceit has made me change my mind

IT was the moment that thousands of supporters of Scottish independence had craved since September 19, 2014. As the First Minister spoke at Bute House on Monday, the responses from many online were nothing short of ecstatic.

When Nicola Sturgeon finally said that she wanted a second independence referendum, the joy went off the scale on social media – for many, it was akin to a religious revival.

However, it was certainly not a joy that was shared by all – including those of us who are still (just) true believers in the cause of independence.

Back in 2014, I was a strong Yes voter. Now I will certainly vote No – if the referendum ever happens.

I feel so strongly about this that a couple of weeks ago I lodged a petition at the Scottish parliament protesting against a rerun of the referendum, which has already received hundreds of signatures.

Another petition opposing a fresh poll has gained the support of more than 93,000 people so far – once the figure reaches 100,000, it could trigger a Commons debate.

The SNP is very keen to parade the odd celebrity or public figure who is supposedly so in love with the EU that leaving the UK is a price worth paying.

But what is largely going unnoticed is the large number of Yes voters who are going the other way.

Let me explain why we feel this way.

Firstly, we are opposed to another referendum because we believe that Scotland should be a truly independent country.

The idea of withdrawing from the UK in order to become dependent on the EU is an irrational position for any self-respecting Nationalist to hold.

Anyone who believes that a country should govern itself, make its own laws and control its own borders cannot seriously argue that leaving one political union of 60 million people to join another of 400 million is in any sense rational.

Failing

The EU is undemocratic, bureaucratic and failing. It is not the progressive Nirvana portrayed by fantasist Europhiles – just ask the people of Greece.

I am opposed to a second referendum because it will not be a poll about Scottish independence – rather, it will be a referendum about Brexit.

The only reason for it being held is in order to try to keep Scotland in the EU and the single market.

For me, it was an astonishing moment when Miss Sturgeon offered to give up on a Scottish independence referendum, if only the UK or Scotland were allowed to stay in the single market.

Imagine that: an SNP leader giving up on independence from the UK in order to remain dependent on the EU.

I am disappointed at the narrow vision of the SNP, whose Europhile approach cannot see beyond European borders into the wider world and at the same time risks alienating us from our nearest neighbours and biggest trading partners.

A second independence referendum would be harmful to the people of Scotland and, indeed, those in the rest of the UK.

We live in a time of great political and economic upheaval and flux. Another referendum at this moment in time will only add to that – whatever the result.

There are significant problems in Scotland (education, the NHS, the economy) that need the full attention of the Scottish parliament.

We cannot afford to be distracted by another lengthy, divisive and bitter campaign.

Neither can the UK Government afford to be distracted by an internal referendum while trying to work out the complex details of Brexit.

Until the Brexit negotiations are complete, there will be uncertainty about what we might be leaving and even more uncertainty about where we might be going.

It is not wise to seek to split the UK at the same time as the UK, including Scotland, is leaving the EU.

For Scotland, leaving the UK for an uncertain destination is a leap off a cliff that makes the UK leaving the EU seem like a dune jump in comparison.

We were promised the last one would be a ‘once in a generation’ referendum. That promise should be kept.

Or are we going to spend the rest of our lives trapped in an endless process of ‘neverendum’?

Furthermore, despite its protestations to the contrary, the SNP has no mandate for such a referendum.

The Scottish people voted by two million to 1.6million to remain in the UK. The people of the UK (including a million Scots) voted to remain in the EU.

The SNP is claiming that it was elected on a manifesto that promised a second referendum if Scotland was taken out of the EU.

Indeed, Miss Sturgeon tweeted yesterday: ‘I was elected on a clear manifesto commitment re ScotRef.’

That is the kind of dishonest sleight of hand that gives politicians a bad name.

I read the SNP manifesto before voting and it made no such promise.

It argued that the Scottish parliament would ‘have the right’ to call a second referendum.

Disingenuous

This was a false statement because, of course, under the devolution settlement the right to call a referendum is reserved to Westminster.

But it was also disingenuous and seems to think we are too stupid to recognise the difference between ‘will have the right to’ and ‘will’.

A manifesto which says ‘we have the right to increase tax by 5p’ is not the same as one that says we ‘will’ increase tax by 5p. It is in no sense a mandate.

Perhaps some will argue that Scotland voted to remain in the EU and the SNP is only speaking for the people of Scotland.

Again, that is nonsense: 1.6million people (of an electorate of some four million) voted for the UK to remain in the EU. We didn’t have a vote about Scotland remaining in the EU. We voted as a United Kingdom – a United Kingdom of which the people of Scotland did vote to remain part.

It seems that when the SNP speaks about respect, it is using that word in exactly the same sense as Tim Farron, Tony Blair and Ken Clarke when they speak of ‘respecting’ the Brexit vote. They mean the opposite.

Finally, as a Christian, let me reflect on the Christian position on all this.

The Church of Scotland seems to think that there is one. Apparently, God is for membership of the EU, neutral on Scottish independence and against Theresa May blocking Indyref 2. Either I don’t share the same hotline to the Lord or we are reading a different Bible, because my Bible says nothing about Scottish independence, the EU or referendums.

Christians will disagree on this, as they will disagree on other political subjects.

The Christian position is that we must pray for our nation and its leaders, whatever their views, and genuinely respect all human beings made in the image of God.

Perhaps, in these confused times, that’s not a bad place to begin.