SCOTTISH FIRST Minister Alex Salmond has acknowledged that a referendum on independence before 2015 could offer Scottish voters an option that would fall short of independence, but would include control of all tax and financial affairs.
Mr Salmond’s declaration has caused some dissent within the Scottish National Party, with strongly pro-independent quarters in the party believing they would have a better chance of winning independence if voters are given a Yes, or No choice.
Known as devolution-max, or independence-lite, the third option would see control of all tax and spending issues affecting Scotland move from Westminster to Hollyrood, although London would remain in control of foreign affairs and defence.
Speaking on Saturday in Inverness, Mr Salmond struck a combative tone: “The days of Westminster politicians telling Scotland what to do or what to think are over.
“The Scottish people will set the agenda for the future.
“No politician, and certainly no London politician, will determine the future of the Scottish nation. [Prime minister] David Cameron should hear this loud and clear. The people of Scotland – the sovereign people of Scotland – are now in the driving seat,” he went on.
So far, Mr Salmond has refused to set a date for the independence referendum, beyond committing to holding it before the next Holyrood elections in 2015, although opinion polls indicate that a straight call to quit the union would be defeated.
Referring to the historic win at the Holyrood elections, which made the SNP the first party to secure an overall majority in the Scottish parliament, Mr Salmond said the decisive win had given his party the “greatest ever mandate of the devolution era”.
Members of the Scottish parliament will next month be asked to back Scotland’s Claim of Right, first set down in 1988, which declares the “sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs”.
The motion before the Holyrood parliament may have significance if Mr Cameron was to try to seek to seize the initiative from Mr Salmond by being the one to put the question of Scotland’s future to voters.
In his speech, the Scottish first minister said the “devolution- max” option is “a legitimate proposal”, since it would, if passed, give Scotland sole powers over North Sea oil and taxation, including setting lower corporation tax rates.
However, it would not be “good enough”, he added. “Even with economic powers, trident nuclear missiles would still be on the river Clyde, we could still be forced to spill blood in illegal wars like Iraq and Scotland would still be excluded from the councils of Europe and the world.”
Mr Salmond’s apparent willingness to put a three-option question to voters provoked former SNP MSP Margo MacDonald, a life-long independence support, to accuse Mr Salmond of “hedging his bets”.
Labour, which now supports more powers for Holyrood demanded that Mr Salmond “stop shilly-shallying” over the referendum date and “get on with it”.
