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| Fate of second Scottish independence referendum 'in hands of the people' | Fate of second Scottish independence referendum 'in hands of the people' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP leadership have put the brakes on moves towards a second independence referendum saying that the Scottish government will hold fire until “strong and consistent evidence” emerges of a change in public opinion. | |
| In marked contrast to her predecessor Alex Salmond, who regularly describes independence as inevitable, the first minister said that the fate of a second referendum lay in the hands of the Scottish people. | In marked contrast to her predecessor Alex Salmond, who regularly describes independence as inevitable, the first minister said that the fate of a second referendum lay in the hands of the Scottish people. |
| Speaking on the opening day of the SNP conference in Aberdeen, the first minister said: “I believe with all my heart that Scotland should be an independent country. | Speaking on the opening day of the SNP conference in Aberdeen, the first minister said: “I believe with all my heart that Scotland should be an independent country. |
| “And I, of course, respect the decision that our country made last year. So let me be clear: to propose another referendum in the next parliament, without strong evidence that a significant number of those who voted no have changed their minds, would be wrong and we won’t do that. It would not be respecting the decision that people have made.” | “And I, of course, respect the decision that our country made last year. So let me be clear: to propose another referendum in the next parliament, without strong evidence that a significant number of those who voted no have changed their minds, would be wrong and we won’t do that. It would not be respecting the decision that people have made.” |
| The intervention by Sturgeon, whose remarks were echoed by the deputy first minister and finance secretary John Swinney, marked a deliberate tactic by the SNP leadership to dispense with the referendum issue in the opening minutes of the conference. This was designed to allow the party to focus on bread and butter issues as the SNP moves to frame the debate in the run-up to the Holyrood elections next May. | |
| The party’s eight cabinet secretaries will each make an appearance on the conference platform on Friday to outline their plans on areas such as education and health as the SNP seeks to win its third successive Holyrood win . | |
| The leadership hopes that an emphatic win improving on the 50% of the vote the SNP secured in the UK general election this year, would help the party win the confidence of No voters in last year’s referendum as it embarks on a slow march towards a second referendum. | |
| Sturgeon outlined this thinking when she told the conference: “For those who want Scotland to be independent, there is only one vote next year that makes sense – and that is a vote for the SNP. But I don’t want to just win the votes of independence supporters. I want to inspire people who voted No to vote SNP too. I want them to vote SNP because we are the best party, with the best ideas and the best people to lead Scotland forward.” | Sturgeon outlined this thinking when she told the conference: “For those who want Scotland to be independent, there is only one vote next year that makes sense – and that is a vote for the SNP. But I don’t want to just win the votes of independence supporters. I want to inspire people who voted No to vote SNP too. I want them to vote SNP because we are the best party, with the best ideas and the best people to lead Scotland forward.” |
| The first minister received a rapturous reception at the largest SNP conference yet, held in the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, which usually hosts events associated with the North Sea oil industry. Sturgeon told the conference, which is being attended by 3,500 delegates plus 1,000 observers, exhibitors and journalists, that the SNP’s membership has grown from 25,000 last year to 114,121 – the “real verdict” on the party’s time in government. | The first minister received a rapturous reception at the largest SNP conference yet, held in the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, which usually hosts events associated with the North Sea oil industry. Sturgeon told the conference, which is being attended by 3,500 delegates plus 1,000 observers, exhibitors and journalists, that the SNP’s membership has grown from 25,000 last year to 114,121 – the “real verdict” on the party’s time in government. |
| Sturgeon’s remarks showed that the SNP believes that its credibility as a long-standing government offers the party its best chance of winning sceptical voters round to the idea of independence. But Swinney showed that the party knows it has to address one area where it is criticised for a lack of credibility when he admitted that the SNP had been wrong about the price of oil. | Sturgeon’s remarks showed that the SNP believes that its credibility as a long-standing government offers the party its best chance of winning sceptical voters round to the idea of independence. But Swinney showed that the party knows it has to address one area where it is criticised for a lack of credibility when he admitted that the SNP had been wrong about the price of oil. |
| Salmond claimed during the referendum campaign that an independent Scotland would have sustainable public finances in part because of oil revenues. He made his calculations on the basis that a barrel of oil was worth $113. The price is now around $47. | Salmond claimed during the referendum campaign that an independent Scotland would have sustainable public finances in part because of oil revenues. He made his calculations on the basis that a barrel of oil was worth $113. The price is now around $47. |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Swinney admitted that he had failed to foresee the collapse in world oil prices though he insisted that the UK government was making similar predictions about the price of oil. “The figure that we used had not transpired, but the figure we used was based within a range of different estimates that were put in place.” | Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Swinney admitted that he had failed to foresee the collapse in world oil prices though he insisted that the UK government was making similar predictions about the price of oil. “The figure that we used had not transpired, but the figure we used was based within a range of different estimates that were put in place.” |
| Swinney also admitted that a steep slump in the North Sea oil industry centred on Aberdeen and crucial to Scotland’s economic output was largely to blame for the loss of 18,000 jobs between June and August, against the UK-wide trend. And he indicated that the unemployment figures could still get worse as the effects of the slump in oil prices worked their way through the industry – particularly in the north-east region around Aberdeen. | Swinney also admitted that a steep slump in the North Sea oil industry centred on Aberdeen and crucial to Scotland’s economic output was largely to blame for the loss of 18,000 jobs between June and August, against the UK-wide trend. And he indicated that the unemployment figures could still get worse as the effects of the slump in oil prices worked their way through the industry – particularly in the north-east region around Aberdeen. |
| The leadership did stress that it was not abandoning its ambitions of a referendum as Sturgeon cited four areas – a UK exit from the EU, deeper spending cuts, renewing Trident and failing to implement in full the referendum “vow” of more powers to Holyrood – that would lead to a rise in support for independence. She made clear that a UK exit from the EU was the most significant area. | The leadership did stress that it was not abandoning its ambitions of a referendum as Sturgeon cited four areas – a UK exit from the EU, deeper spending cuts, renewing Trident and failing to implement in full the referendum “vow” of more powers to Holyrood – that would lead to a rise in support for independence. She made clear that a UK exit from the EU was the most significant area. |
| “If you try to take Scotland out of the EU against our democratic wishes you will be breaching the terms of last year’s vote,” Sturgeon said in a direct message to Cameron. “In those circumstances you may well find that demand for a second independence referendum is unstoppable.” | “If you try to take Scotland out of the EU against our democratic wishes you will be breaching the terms of last year’s vote,” Sturgeon said in a direct message to Cameron. “In those circumstances you may well find that demand for a second independence referendum is unstoppable.” |
| Tommy Sheppard, the SNP MP for Edinburgh East, adopted a different tone to the leadership on the referendum when he said that every time David Cameron rejects reasonable demands from the people of Scotland, their support for independence increases. | Tommy Sheppard, the SNP MP for Edinburgh East, adopted a different tone to the leadership on the referendum when he said that every time David Cameron rejects reasonable demands from the people of Scotland, their support for independence increases. |
| Sheppard won the loudest cheers, after those for Sturgeon, when he told the conference that the SNP would continue to seek to amend the Scotland bill to restore the pledges delivered by the main UK leaders in the “Vow” in the final days of the referendum. The SNP would also seek to reverse welfare cuts. | Sheppard won the loudest cheers, after those for Sturgeon, when he told the conference that the SNP would continue to seek to amend the Scotland bill to restore the pledges delivered by the main UK leaders in the “Vow” in the final days of the referendum. The SNP would also seek to reverse welfare cuts. |
| He added: “We may fail but I say this to David Cameron: that if we get the situation, as we have had over these long months, where we win the arguments and they can’t beat us in the chamber and then they drag them out of the bars and clubs to come and vote from their shires and the home counties against the people of Scotland: they will rue the day they do that. | He added: “We may fail but I say this to David Cameron: that if we get the situation, as we have had over these long months, where we win the arguments and they can’t beat us in the chamber and then they drag them out of the bars and clubs to come and vote from their shires and the home counties against the people of Scotland: they will rue the day they do that. |
| “Every time they say no to a reasonable proposal then they are fuelling the support for the Yes position the next time that is put to the Scottish people. Every time they say no to something they are increasing our ambition to have everything.” | “Every time they say no to a reasonable proposal then they are fuelling the support for the Yes position the next time that is put to the Scottish people. Every time they say no to something they are increasing our ambition to have everything.” |
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