MSPs to vote on legal mechanism for independence referendum

MSPs are set to vote on whether there should be a legal mechanism for a referendum in Scotland.

The debate, titled 'Scotland's Right to Decide', has been brought forward by John Swinney following the memorandum of understanding signed last week with Plaid's Rhun ap Iorwerth and Sinn Féin's Michelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald last week.

It urged the UK Government to prepare for and facilitate border polls, warning that “Westminster’s time is coming to an end”.  

Ahead of this afternoon’s vote at Holyrood, Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth reiterated the message sent by the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish first ministers last week that “Westminster isn't working”.  

She said: “We are standing at a moment of serious opportunity and change of some form is inevitable. The question is whether change is done to Scotland, or by Scotland – and today the First Minister is inviting MSPs to unite to make clear that Scotland is a nation with a right to decide our own future.”

Gilruth also called on Scottish Labour's new leader Michael Marra to back the SNP administration’s motion that there should be a legal mechanism for calling a referendum, as it exists in Northern Ireland.  

Marra confirmed yesterday that he believes Scotland has the right to decide its own future. 

Acknowledging her and Marra's different stances on independence, Gilruth said the vote is “not about the decision Scotland ultimately makes” and is “a simple statement of principle that we have the right to take that decision”.  

Speaking to STV News, Marra said: “I believe that the people of Scotland have the right to decide their future, and they did so in 2014.

“In 1997, they gave an unequivocal answer on both of those occasions. And the challenge, I know in the Parliament this week that the SNP are going to have to be held to, is how they build that settled will of the Scottish people that we actually produced in the 1980s and 1990s when I was but a boy.

“The Labour Party went about the job about delivering that settled will when answering the questions that people had.

“Now that’s the hard yards that the SNP has to do.”

Responding to Marra's comments, the first minister said: “This is a hugely significant moment. For the first time since 2014, Scottish Labour accept Scotland’s right to decide our own future, just as the Prime Minister has.

“We now need to turn that principle into an opportunity for people to make their voice heard.”

Alastair Cameron, chair of Scotland in Union, called today’s debate “inexcusable”, accusing the first minister of “wasting parliament’s time”.

He said: “Perhaps if everything under his control was going swimmingly he could be forgiven for the odd indulgence.

“But nothing could be further from the truth – schools are in crisis, the NHS is on its knees and police are struggling to deal with rising levels of serious crime.

“These are the issues the people of Scotland want John Swinney to focus on.

“That has been proven by repeated polling, and it’s time the SNP paid attention and dropped its obsession with another divisive referendum.”