Independence must be up to people of Scotland, not Burnham
The Scottish Greens have said the power to decide whether Scotland holds an independence referendum should rest with Scotland’s Parliament, not Westminster.
The call comes after the Prime Minister suggested that a referendum should only take place if he believes public opinion has shifted sufficiently to justify one.
Regular polling shows that a majority of people in Scotland support independence, despite the Prime Minister claiming he has seen no evidence to suggest independence support.
The Scottish Greens are calling for the devolution of powers to Holyrood to hold an independence referendum, so that the people of Scotland can directly have their say on Scotland’s independence.
The Scottish Greens’ co-leader Gillian Mackay said:
“Scotland’s future should not be decided by a Prime Minister at Westminster, or be dependent on whether he thinks public opinion has reached a point that suits him.
“The people of Scotland must have the right to decide our own future. That means the decision about whether and when to hold an independence referendum should rest with Scotland’s Parliament, elected by the people of Scotland, rather than being held in the hands of a Westminster government.
“When Andy Burnham entered Downing Street he promised a new politics and an end to centralisation, but this is yet another Prime Minister talking down to Scotland from the despatch box in Westminster.
“Democracy cannot simply mean having a vote when Andy Burnham decides the time is right. That decision belongs here in Scotland, and ultimately it belongs to the people of Scotland.”