The SNP recently won the largest vote in the Scottish elections and has the
largest group of MSP's. The party will shortly move to launch a bill for a
referendum on Scottish independence.
The traditional British parties (ie those who are controlled from London)
have argued against this and the British Government claims that Scotland's
devolved parliament has no right to launch a referendum however this is
not
the case.
Firstly no matter what Tony Blair wrote in his devolution bill Scotland
has
a right to self determination under international law.
This was accepted by all parties in the Constitutional (devolution)
Convention which incidentally proposed a far stronger Assembly (including
broadcasting powers) which was watered down by the London Labour
Government
in their eventual bill.
The aforementioned bill cannot legislate away our right to self
determination, no national Government has the right to do that, no matter
what bill they pass.
Let's remember that we are outvoted 10-1 at Westminster so any bill they
pass is hardly likely to represent the views of the people of Scotland!
Secondly the Scottish parliament has the capacity to hold a referendum if
it
chooses. It may choose to do so in conjunction with another body like
COSLA,
but if our parliament really wants to hold a referendum and that decision
is
sup****ted by a majority of our MSP's the UK could not interfere to stop it
without ultimately adding to its eventual success.
The position of the UK Government is that it is sovereign and only it has
the right to decide on constitutional matters. This is not technically the
case the Scottish people are sovereign and this is universally accepted by
most politicians in Scotland.
If the people are sovereign we have a RIGHT to a referendum on
independence
and that referendum should ask simply "do you want independence (or
'normal
international powers' or 'self determination') for Scotland", anything
else
is not acceptable and the Scottish SNP Government should call the UK
Labour
Government's bluff and put this simple question to the Scottish people.
http://politicalnewsfromscotland.blogspot.com/
