Scottish Government refuse to back Referendum on Independence Powers for Scottish Parliament

Alba Party’s Holyrood leader Ash Regan MSP set out last year a plan that would see the Scottish Parliament hold a referendum on whether the Scottish Parliament should have the powers to negotiate and legislate for Scottish independence.

In polling released by Alba Party last week, 57.5% of Scots surveyed were in favour of the Scottish Parliament having independence powers, with 39.9% strongly agreeing and a further 17.6% agreeing. This was in stark contrast to only 22% strongly disagreeing with less than one third expressing their view that they did not support the Scottish Parliament having the powers to negotiate for and legislate for independence.

However, the Scottish Government’s Independence Minister Jamie Hepburn today stated that the Government had no plans to hold a referendum and further failed to respond to Ms Regan’s call for him to set out how the Scottish Government intended to progress Scotland towards independence within the current session of the Parliament in the face of the Constitutional road block the country has faced since the UK Supreme Court decision that the Scottish Parliament could not hold a second independent referendum.

Commenting Alba Party Holyrood leader Ash Regan MSP said:

“Scotland’s future should be in Scotland’s hands. Holding a referendum on whether or not the Scottish Parliament should have the powers to negotiate for and legislate for independence will allow us to move beyond the constitutional road block we’ve had in front of us for many years.

“The Scottish Government recognise that when it comes to progressing Scotland forwards towards independence that they are stuck in the mud so it is both disappointing and frustrating that the Independence Minister confirmed today that the Scottish Government have no plans to back a referendum that an overwhelming majority of Scots would vote in to demand the Scottish Parliament has the powers to negotiate and legislate for independence.

“We know that Westminster will continue to say ‘no’ to agreeing to a referendum so simply repeating that Scotland has a mandate for an independence referendum will not deliver one. It’s time to stop relying on the UK Government to progress the case for independence, we must use our own parliament to take Scotland forward to independence.

“Humza Yousaf should be instructing his Independence Minister to embrace the proposal to hold a referendum on the powers of the parliament. I have set the plan out for them, showed them that it has the backing of the people of Scotland, and they should now help deliver the referendum by giving it their backing.”