Debate over Scotland’s constitutional future has returned to the political agenda following reports that incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham does not intend to grant Holyrood the powers to hold an independence referendum.
Reports suggest Mr Burnham told a Westminster meeting of Labour MPs that he would not support transferring powers to the Scottish Parliament to legislate for a referendum on independence.
The issue has gained renewed prominence following last month’s Scottish Parliament election and a subsequent vote at Holyrood calling on the UK Government to make a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998.
MSPs voted by 72 votes to 55 in favour of requesting the powers needed for the Scottish Parliament to hold a referendum on Scottish independence.
The vote has prompted fresh calls from the SNP for Westminster to respond to what it describes as a democratic mandate.
SNP Westminster Leader Dave Doogan MP said:
“Andy Burnham must not repeat the mistakes of his predecessors.
“He would be displaying the worst of Westminster arrogance by denying democracy in Scotland.
“The SNP is ready to work with Mr Burnham to devolve greater powers to the Scottish Parliament, including over Scotland’s energy and other key areas for our economy and communities.
“That has to include transferring powers to hold an independence referendum, so the people of Scotland can control our democratic right to determine our own future.
“Scotland’s future must be in the hands of the people of Scotland, not decided in secret chats and backroom meetings at Westminster.
“The people of Scotland have just elected the biggest ever independence majority in the Scottish Parliament and the Labour Party suffered its worst ever Scottish election defeat.
“All three devolved nations are now led by pro-independence First Ministers and the Scottish Parliament has voted to transfer powers for an independence referendum.
“Westminster cannot continue to stick its head in the sand and ignore the wishes of people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“To people in Scotland, Mr Burnham’s declaration that ‘Westminster knows best’ marks him as just another out of touch Westminster politician and a disappointment before he has started.
“Rather than disrespecting Scottish democracy, he should be going out of his way to prove he is committed to it.
“If the Labour Party isn’t going to learn the lessons of its biggest ever defeat, then most of the Scottish Labour MPs that Andy Burnham was meeting will lose their seats at the next election.”
The question of whether powers over an independence referendum should be devolved remains one of the most contested issues in Scottish politics and is likely to remain a major point of debate during the new parliamentary term.
