Indyref 2 by 2019, claims Robertson
THE SNP’s deputy leader said there should be a second independence referendum within the next two years – despite Nicola Sturgeon suggesting another divisive vote might not happen.
The First Minister was last week accused of backtracking after claiming it was ‘if’ and not ‘when’ there would be a vote to break up Britain.
But yesterday Angus Robertson said there would be another vote, preferably between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, the timetable previously set out by Miss Sturgeon.
And he claimed that if the SNP returns a majority of Scotland’s MPs the Prime Minister must allow another referendum to take place.
Mr Robertson, who is standing as a candidate in Moray, insisted that it would be ‘unimaginable’ for the UK Government to block a vote on independence after the General Election.
The Tory manifesto, launched by Theresa May last week, says there must be ‘public consent’ and the Brexit process must be ‘played out’ before a referendum could be held.
Mrs May raised the prospect of putting off another vote indefinitely as she has refused to say how ‘public consent’ would be measured.
However, speaking to the BBC, Mr Robertson said: ‘Of course there will be a referendum, because the people have determined that we should have a choice about our future.’
He added: ‘Our position is absolutely clear, the future of Scotland should lie in Scotland’s hands.’
Mr Robertson also insisted that the Nationalists’ already have a mandate for a referendum after they formed a minority government in Scotland.
He highlighted the vote held at Holyrood in which the SNP and Greens gave Miss Sturgeon their backing to seek a Section 30 order for another vote. Mrs May responded by insisting ‘now is not the time’.
It has been suggested that another vote on the referendum could be put off until after the Holyrood elections in 2021. But, yesterday Mr Robertson said: ‘Are we really in a position where the Tories are saying that the people of Scotland will not be able to determine their own future?
‘I think it is unimaginable, if there is a UK Tory victory across the rest of the UK but in Scotland the SNP is returned, that they can just continuously turn their backs on the democratically expressed views of the people of this country.’
Scottish Labour General Election campaign manager James Kelly said: ‘The SNP is all over the place when it comes to a second independence referendum. While Nicola Sturgeon tries desperately to convince voters that this election isn’t all about independence to her, her deputy leader has let the cat out of the bag.’
Last night Douglas Ross, Scottish Tory candidate for Moray, said: ‘These comments from Angus Robertson prove once again that the SNP will prioritise independence first, last and always.
‘It comes when his latest local election leaflet fails to make any mention of independence and he is doing everything possible not to mention it in Moray which recorded a strong vote against separation. It shows that the SNP is trying to take the electorate for granted.
‘The Scottish Conservatives won’t roll over to demands from the SNP for a rerun. We’ll continue to fight to protect the decision we made in 2014, and to hold the SNP to account.’
Comment – Page 18
‘Taking electorate for granted’