Union leaders back referendum if Scotland elects pro-independence majority of MSPS
TRADE union bosses have backed indyref2 being held if the Scottish public elects a pro-independence majority next month.
The STUC congress voted in favour of a motion stating that Holyrood should have the power to hold a referendum and should not need the consent of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to do so.
The motion also states that Westminster should not resist a second vote if a majority of pro-independence MSPS is elected to Holyrood.
But union leaders warned that the next class of MSPS must prioritise recovery from the pandemic over constitutional issues.
The STUC statement also rejects the pursuit of a supermajority for independence in the next Parliament through tactical manoeuvring – a case pressed by Alex Salmond’s Alba Party.
The pledge has been backed by the SNP and the Greens but Labour’s Ian Murray said the focus of the next Parliament must be the recovery.
STUC general secretary Roz Foyer said: “Our vote has reaffirmed the right of the Scottish people to self-determination and recognised that as the central democratic institution in Scotland, our Parliament should have the power to determine whether and when to hold a second referendum. We have also made clear that any future referendum need not be confined to a binary choice if a meaningful third option is developed.”