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Tories warn over independence referendum roll Scottish referendum: Tory warning over electoral roll
(about 6 hours later)
Almost a million Scots could be denied an independence referendum vote if the SNP refuses the proper powers to run it, the Conservatives have claimed. Almost a million Scots could be denied an independence referendum vote if the SNP refuses the proper powers to run it, the Conservative Party has claimed.
The UK government said new powers must be devolved to Scotland to ensure the result cannot be legally challenged. The Tories said the SNP would be unable to access the full electoral roll of four million voters, if it held a referendum on its own terms.
The Tories said the SNP would be unable to access the full electoral roll of four million voters, if it forged ahead with a referendum on its own terms.
But the Scottish government dismissed the claims as "simply nonsense".But the Scottish government dismissed the claims as "simply nonsense".
Westminster ministers have said they want to work with the Scottish government to ensure it has the proper powers to hold the referendum - planned for autumn 2014 - because constitutional issues are not devolved to Holyrood. Westminster MPs have said new powers must be devolved to Scotland so the result cannot be legally challenged.
The Conservatives are the majority party in the UK's coalition government, which is also made up of Liberal Democrat MPs.
Ministers at Westminster have also previously said they want to work with the Scottish government to ensure it has the proper powers to hold the referendum - planned for autumn 2014 - because constitutional issues are not devolved to Holyrood.
But the move has provoked a row with SNP ministers, who said the coalition was trying to attach strings to the referendum, such as dictating the precise date and what will appear on the ballot paper.But the move has provoked a row with SNP ministers, who said the coalition was trying to attach strings to the referendum, such as dictating the precise date and what will appear on the ballot paper.
The Conservatives said that, if the Scottish government went ahead on the issue itself, it would only have access to the publicly available, edited electoral register - mainly used by direct marketing companies - on which voters can opt out of being included. The Conservatives now say that, if the Scottish government went ahead on the issue itself, it would only have access to the publicly available, edited electoral register - mainly used by direct marketing companies - on which voters can opt out of being included.
'Overwhelming mandate'
Scotland Office Minister David Mundell said: "The UK government has set out very clearly that the Scottish government cannot legislate lawfully for a referendum with its current powers.Scotland Office Minister David Mundell said: "The UK government has set out very clearly that the Scottish government cannot legislate lawfully for a referendum with its current powers.
"The full electoral register can only be used for specific purposes such as the general or Holyrood elections."The full electoral register can only be used for specific purposes such as the general or Holyrood elections.
"The legal position is clear - if the SNP attempts to go ahead with its own referendum then it will be nothing more than an opinion poll, with a million Scots unable to be asked for their view.""The legal position is clear - if the SNP attempts to go ahead with its own referendum then it will be nothing more than an opinion poll, with a million Scots unable to be asked for their view."
A Scottish government spokesman said the referendum would be brought about through legislation at Holyrood, which would ensure full access to the electoral register.A Scottish government spokesman said the referendum would be brought about through legislation at Holyrood, which would ensure full access to the electoral register.
"The Scottish government is entirely confident of its position, and of the overwhelming mandate it has received from the people of Scotland to hold a referendum," said the spokesman."The Scottish government is entirely confident of its position, and of the overwhelming mandate it has received from the people of Scotland to hold a referendum," said the spokesman.
"In any event, the claim that the full electoral register will not be used for the referendum is simply nonsense.""In any event, the claim that the full electoral register will not be used for the referendum is simply nonsense."
The Tories said that, based on figures from the General Register Office for Scotland almost 27% of the 3.9 million voters on the electoral register had opted out of the edited version.The Tories said that, based on figures from the General Register Office for Scotland almost 27% of the 3.9 million voters on the electoral register had opted out of the edited version.