Unionists ‘lack courage of their convictions’
Unionist parties should have the "courage of their convictions" and call another vote on Scottish independence, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens Lorna Slater has said.
Last week, the UK Supreme Court ruled the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to legislate for a referendum, closing all routes to a further poll that do not require Westminster consent.
The ruling means the UK government would have to provide the necessary powers through a section 30 order.
Ms Slater said that unionist parties are scared of losing another referendum.
"I'm continually frustrated by the unionist parties lacking the courage of their convictions," she said.
"Because I fully believe the reason they won't let us have a referendum is because they know they're going to lose it.
"They don't spend any time at all arguing for why the union is good, they know haven't got a basis for that – especially with the economic disaster we've seen coming out of Westminster.
"They know they have no case to make for the union."
It is also for the UK government, Ms Slater said, to lay out the path to a section 30 order being granted.
"If this is a democracy, they have to say what the route to a section 30 looks like," she said.
Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said: "It takes some nerve for any Green politician to talk about opponents lacking the courage of their convictions when they sold out in order to shore up their friends in the SNP and push for an unwanted and divisive referendum.”