Scottish Secretary is making up rules on referendums, says First Minister

THE First Minister has accused Scottish Secretary Alister Jack of “making up rules” over another independence referendum.

During yesterday’s coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon was asked about comments made by the Scottish Secretary, in which he said he would acknowledge the desire for another referendum if 60 per cent of Scots consistently supported one.

It comes after Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove said there would be another vote if it was the “settled will” of Scots in an interview earlier this month.

Asked about the remarks,

Mr Jack said: “If you consistently saw 60% of the population wanting a referendum – not wanting independence but wanting a referendum – and that was sustained over a reasonably long period, then I would acknowledge that there was a desire for a referendum.”

Mr Gove previously said: “The principle that the people of Scotland, in the right circumstances, can ask that question again is there.

“I just don’t think that it is right, and the public don’t think it is right, to ask that question at the moment.

“If it is the case that there is clearly a settled will in favour of a referendum, then one will occur.”

However, Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Secretary was making things up.

She said: “I am not going to get diverted in a Covid briefing into responding to the Secretary of State, I think it was the Secretary of State making up constitutional rules as he goes along.

“We have constitutional rules that are pretty well-established in a democracy.

“If a party wins the election on a particular proposition they should get to implement that proposition.”

Ms Sturgeon is hoping to hold another referendum on Scottish independence by the end of 2023, depending on the coronavirus crisis, although the UK Government has consistently blocked the idea.

Most recently, Chancellor Rishi Sunak knocked down the idea of another vote during a visit to Scotland.

Speaking to The Herald’s Brian Taylor podcast, he said the issue was very divisive and added:

“What is a more unifying view, I think held by the vast majority of people in Scotland, is that what they want right now is for, particularly me, and the governments that represent them to work together to help us recover from this awful crisis that we face.”

Ms Sturgeon and Scottish Green party leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie promised in their co-operation agreement to pursue another vote, in a move that is designed to put more pressure on Westminster.

The SNP leader is expected to set our proposals for another referendum when she reveals the Programme For Government on September 7.