Wednesday, May 27, 2015
SNP seek to use EU referendum bill as back door to independence
The Independent reports on the view of the First Minister of Scotland that a vote to leave the European Union should only be valid if it is backed by each of the four nations which constitute the United Kingdom.
Nicola Sturgeon suggests that the SNP will try to amend the EU Referendum Bill to that effect when it comes before Parliament. It is an interesting suggestion but difficult to justify under our current constitution.
The UK may consist of four nations but politically it is one entity when it comes to matters of foreign policy and defence. I want to see all four of those nations vote to stay in the EU. It is in their and the UK's best interests for them to do so but no one part of the country can hold the rest to ransom. A majority is a majority, that is how democracy works.
This pushing at boundaries is a means to try and secure independence by the back door. Scotland is not yet independent, it is part of the UK and cannot opt out of or overrule majority decisions that affect the whole of the union.
Let us give the nations Home Rule but that does not mean that any constituent part of the UK should be able to exercise a veto on non-devolved matters.
Nicola Sturgeon suggests that the SNP will try to amend the EU Referendum Bill to that effect when it comes before Parliament. It is an interesting suggestion but difficult to justify under our current constitution.
The UK may consist of four nations but politically it is one entity when it comes to matters of foreign policy and defence. I want to see all four of those nations vote to stay in the EU. It is in their and the UK's best interests for them to do so but no one part of the country can hold the rest to ransom. A majority is a majority, that is how democracy works.
This pushing at boundaries is a means to try and secure independence by the back door. Scotland is not yet independent, it is part of the UK and cannot opt out of or overrule majority decisions that affect the whole of the union.
Let us give the nations Home Rule but that does not mean that any constituent part of the UK should be able to exercise a veto on non-devolved matters.
