Goldie said that under Scottish Parliament Standing Orders Alexander would be prevented from introducing her mooted Bill because the Government has already indicated that it will initiate legislation on this subject within the same session.

Goldie said that Alexander’s “incompetence” has gifted First Minister Alex Salmond an independence referendum and put the United Kingdom at risk.

She said:

“This is the further proof that the extraordinary situation of a Labour leader wanting to introduce a Bill designed to break up Britain was nothing more than a panic measure in the face of electoral meltdown. It wasn’t thought through, it wasn’t planned and it has ended up gifting Alex Salmond his referendum. This is not leadership. It is a shambles, one for which a broken Labour party only has itself to blame.

“The incompetence of Wendy Alexander and Gordon Brown has put the United Kingdom at risk. They cannot be trusted with devolution. The Prime Minister has destroyed any shred of credibility in his Scottish Labour leader.”

Commenting after exchanges at Prime Ministers Questions where Prime Minister Gordon Brown denied that Alexander had said she wanted an early referendum and said he would wait for the independent Calman Commission on devolution to report back before making his own decision, Goldie added:

“When asked whether he backed Wendy Alexander, Gordon Brown instead hung her out to dry. She made it clear she wanted a quick referendum, he said nothing must happen until the Calman Commission has reported and its findings are fully considered. Since that takes us to the autumn of 2009 at the earliest, Gordon Brown has just delivered a massive vote of no confidence in Wendy Alexander.”

For more information on the Standing Orders of the Scottish Parliament relating to the introduction of Members’ Bills see rule 9.14 here.