ALBA call on SNP Leadership Candidates to back Self-Determination Bill

ALBA PARTY Westminster Leader Neale Hanvey MP has urged the contenders in the SNP leadership race to back his parliamentary initiatives that seek to transfer powers to the Scottish Parliament to facilitate a referendum on independence.

Hanvey says that support by the SNP leadership candidates would “unite the independence movement in common cause”. He has today written to all three SNP leadership candidates urging them to support a united front against the UK Government in the House of Commons.

On St. Andrews Day 2022 Mr Hanvey led a Westminster Hall debate on UK Government policy on a further independence referendum for Scotland during which he set out the St. Andrew’s Day Declaration.

However, to date only two members of the SNP Westminster group have recorded their support for the ALBA motion.

Last month the ALBA Westminster leader introduced the Scotland (Self Determination) Bill as a Private Members' Bill under the Ten-Minute Rule. Many members of the SNP Group at Westminster co-sponsored the Bill.

In his letter to the SNP leadership candidates ALBA Party Westminster Leader Neale Hanvey says:

“The Bill seeks to amend the Scotland Act 1998 to transfer the power to legislate for a Scottish independence referendum to the Scottish Parliament where the Scottish public has demonstrated its support for the holding of such a referendum in an election, but no sooner than seven years after any previous such vote. This would bring Scotland’s constitutional arrangements into line with the position already conceded by the UK Government in relation to a border poll on the island of Ireland. The Second reading of the Bill is currently scheduled to take place on Friday 24 March.

I therefore invite you to give each of these initiatives your personal support as I believe this would illustrate your intent to unite the independence movement in common cause making your commitment to delivering Scottish independence unequivocal.”

Notes:

A). EDM 633 St Andrew’s Day Declaration

“That this House welcomes and endorses the St Andrew's Day Declaration of 30 November 2022 which states that we the people, elected members and civic organisations of Scotland assert that our nation has the right of self-determination to freely determine our political status and to freely pursue our economic, social and cultural development, mindful of the Scottish constitutional tradition of the sovereignty of the people, we will democratically challenge any authority or government which seeks to deny us that right.”

B). Scotland (Self Determination) Bill

A Bill to amend the Scotland Act 1998 to transfer the power to legislate for a Scottish independence referendum to the Scottish Parliament; to provide that that power may only be exercised where the Scottish public has demonstrated its support for the holding of such a referendum; to provide that no such referendum may be held sooner than seven years after the previous such referendum; and for connected purposes.

C) Text of Letter from Neale Hanvey MP to Kate Forbes MSP, Ash Regan MSP & Humza Yousaf MSP

Dear SNP Leadership Candidates,

Re: St. Andrew’s Day Declaration and Scotland (Self Determination) Bill 2023

I hope you are enjoying the ongoing SNP leadership campaign. I am writing regarding the above active parliamentary initiatives in the hope of a renewed and determined focus on securing our shared ambition for Scottish independence.

On St. Andrews Day 2022 I led a Westminster Hall debate on UK Government policy on a further independence referendum for Scotland during which I spoke to my Early Day Motion (EDM 633) of that day which sets out the St. Andrew’s Day Declaration.

EDM 633 states the following,

“That this House welcomes and endorses the St Andrew's Day Declaration of 30 November 2022 which states that we the people, elected members and civic organisations of Scotland assert that our nation has the right of self-determination to freely determine our political status and to freely pursue our economic, social and cultural development, mindful of the Scottish constitutional tradition of the sovereignty of the people, we will democratically challenge any authority or government which seeks to deny us that right.”

I hope you will agree that the motion should be uncontroversial for any supporter of independence, however, to date only two members of the SNP Westminster group have recorded their support for the motion. I would be very keen to understand if each of you would support other SNP MPs adding their name, and if not, I would be keen to understand why?

On Wednesday 1st February this year, I introduced the Scotland (Self Determination) Bill as a Private Members' Bill under the Ten-Minute Rule. I was very grateful to the SNP members who co-sponsored the Bill and to those who joined me in the chamber at introduction.

The Bill seeks to amend the Scotland Act 1998 to transfer the power to legislate for a Scottish independence referendum to the Scottish Parliament where the Scottish public has demonstrated its support for the holding of such a referendum in an election, but no sooner than seven years after any previous such vote.

This would bring Scotland’s constitutional arrangements into line with the position already conceded by the UK Government in relation to a border poll on the island of Ireland. The Second reading of the Bill is currently scheduled to take place on Friday 24 March.

I therefore invite you to give each of these initiatives your personal support as I believe this would illustrate your intent to unite the independence movement in common cause making your commitment to delivering Scottish independence unequivocal.

May I also take this opportunity to wish each you all well with your respective campaigns.

Neale Hanvey MP
ALBA Party Westminster Leader