Following reports that the Labour party went as far as looking at moving borders to undermine support for Scottish independence, the SNP has said this shows neither the Tories nor the Labour party has ever had Scotland’s best interests at heart – and they never will.
The Times revealed today that the Callaghan government plotted to move maritime borders to bring North Sea oil into “English waters” as part of a “clandestine publicity and propaganda” unit to counter the SNP – amid growing concern over the likelihood of an independent Scotland.
The shadowy attempts to undermine Scotland and support for Scottish independence, are a forerunner of the current Tory government’s union unit and the power grab on the Scottish Parliament.
Commenting, SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown said:
“This is a timely reminder of how successive UK government’s see Scotland.
“In the 70’s it was Scotland’s oil they set out to grab, now it’s the powers of Scotland’s parliament.
“There are echoes across the generations – the new union unit and legislation to take powers and funding from Scotland’s parliament are simply the modern-day equivalent of trying to change the border to ensure the oil wealth could not accrue to Scotland.
“At any sign of Scotland becoming successful, standing on our own feet, and choosing our own future, Labour and the Tories put the interests of Westminster before the people of Scotland.
“With both Labour and the Tories having acted to drag Scotland out of the EU against our will and continuing to refuse to acknowledge the mandate for a second independence referendum, it is clear nothing has changed.
“The only people that will ever have Scotland’s best interests at heart are those who live and work here, so it will only ever be a government, voted for by the people of Scotland, that will truly do what is best for Scotland.
“The coming election will shape Scotland’s future for years to come – and every single vote will count.
“The decisive way to ensure there is a re-elected SNP Government, led by Nicola Sturgeon, to secure a strong recovery and an independence referendum is to give both votes to the SNP on 6th May.”
