SNP MP Angus Robertson said the Scottish government intends to hold a referendum in October 2023 to allow the people of Scotland “democracy to vote for independence”.
Opposition figures later accused the SNP of “plucking dates from a hat”.
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Angus Robertson MSP, Secretary of the Cabinet for Constitution, Foreign Affairs and Culture, said the Scottish Government was preparing to launch a second referendum on independence in October 2023. Photo: Andy Buchanan / AFP via Getty Images
But Scottish Conservative MP Craig Hoy said he was “deeply concerned” that “Plan B” without an order under Section 30 could lead to an “illegal referendum”.
The Scottish Tory chairman said: “It is clear that the SNP is stepping up its efforts for a new separation referendum.
“Nicola Sturgeon is close to approving a plan to push forward with an illegal vote, and Angus Robertson doubled that today.
“This reckless pressure for a new referendum will hurt Scotland, when the whole focus must be on the recovery of Covid and the global cost of living crisis.
“The SNP is once again distracted by its obsession with independence. They focus on the wrong priorities and, as a result, slow down Scotland’s economy and public services.
“Our public services, especially the NHS, are still struggling after the pandemic. On top of that, the war in Ukraine has led to rising food and energy prices, which has led to an unprecedented decline in household incomes.
Mr Robertson, the constitutional secretary, denied the timeframe was an unrealistic goal, saying he said not every referendum was an “exact copy” of previous ones.
The Prime Minister confirmed that he would make a “significant” statement to the Scottish Parliament later this month before the mid-year holiday.
However, the UK government led by Boris Johnson has insisted that “now is not the time” for a new referendum.
Speaking to BBC Good Morning Scotland on Wednesday, Mr Robertson said: “The Prime Minister made it clear yesterday that he intends to announce to the Scottish Parliament in the coming weeks a map of the route to a referendum we intend to hold next October.
“I am fully satisfied that with the start of the unfolding of the prospectus, with the message that will follow on the map of the route on how this will be achieved, that we have a fully adequate window of opportunity for both legislation and opportunities for people to examine carefully the prospectus to be published by the Scottish Government. ”
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Mr Robertson said he would not give a “preview” of what the referendum would involve after President Alison Johnstone punished the ICJ for giving details of a statement of media independence to parliament first before parliament.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have accused the SNP of being “on another planet” when it comes to voting for independence.
Party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Angus Robertson insults his opponents and insists the vote will take place next autumn, but this week’s poll shows that only 16 per cent of Scots believe another vote is a top priority. He’s not just out of touch, he’s on another planet.
“Any SME who believes that independence overcomes the crisis with the cost of living, the climate emergency and the shocking expectations for children’s and adolescents’ mental health services needs to look at themselves for a long time.
Mr Robertson said he saw “no reason” for the UK government to reject the Section 30 order allowing Holyrood to call a referendum.
The secretary of the constitution said: “Scottish policy has a long history of the UK government going ‘no, no, no, yes’. This happened on the eve of the referendum in 2014, and I still believe that we must work on the basis of the gold standard of democracy, which is that certainly all of us involved in politics agree that when people vote for something happened in this country, it has to happen. ”
Mr Robertson said the UK government should not constitutionally block the 2023 independence vote.
But Scottish Labor MP Sarah Boyc accused Robertson of “putting a pie in the sky” and said the SNP was “pulling dates out of a hat for a new split referendum”.
Scotland in Union, a campaign group to keep Scotland in the UK, also accused the SNP government of prioritizing independence over other issues.
Pamela Nash, Scotland’s chief executive of the Union, said: “The vast majority of people in Scotland do not want another referendum on division next year.
“Angus Robertson is so obsessed that he believes a second referendum is more important than improving our hospital, schools or other public services.
“Scotland deserves better than being thrown into a constitutional battle that most people don’t want.
“As part of the United Kingdom, we can unite communities and invest more in the NHS and schools so that we can build a fairer, stronger Scotland for all.
However, as the Independence Party, the Scottish Greens backed the October 2023 aspiration.
Scottish Greens MP Ross Greer said: “The independence parties won more votes and more seats in last year’s Scottish parliamentary elections than the anti-independence parties. With every normal democratic measure, we have secured an iron mandate to hold a referendum.
“The Scottish Greens know that only with the full powers of a normal independent European state can we truly become the fairer, greener, outward society we strive to be.
Presenting the first in a series of documents describing the case of secession from the United Kingdom, Ms. Sturgeon told a news conference in Edinburgh that her government had an “undisputed mandate” for a second independence referendum.
However, the first minister acknowledged that the upcoming referendum faces challenges. If the referendum bill is introduced without Westminster’s consent, it could be challenged in court.
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