The party’s deputy leader Keith Brown has written to the leaders of the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour and the Scottish LibDems asking them to re-affirm the principle agreed before the 2014 referendum: “Power lies with the Scottish people and we believe it is for the Scottish people to decide how we are governed.”
Brown (below) said that while the Unionist parties may be opposed to independence “we surely must be able to agree” that decisions about Scotland’s constitutional future “must be made by the people of Scotland”.
He added: “This is not about support for independence – it is about whether we believe the people of Scotland should have the right to make that choice.
“To refuse to endorse such a basic principle would be deeply damaging – not just for your own parties, but for Scottish democracy itself.”
Brown called on rival party leaders to make a “make a clear and public statement” that they “support Scotland’s right to decide its own future”.
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He added: “In 2014, the Better Together parties signed a pledge which said that it is for the Scottish people to decide how we are governed. But in the years since, the pro-UK parties seem determined to ignore the decisions of the Scottish people.
“I respect that people and politicians across Scotland have differing views on independence – that’s exactly how it should be. But what we need to be clear on is that Scotland, like all nations, must have the right to decide our own future.
“We can disagree on independence, but surely, we must agree on democracy. That’s why I’ve written a letter to the leaders of the Better Together parties this morning, urging them to make public their support for Scotland’s right to decide, as they did in 2014.”
Claiming that independence would be “the defining issue of next year’s election”, Brown asked whether Unionist politicians “agree that Scotland has the right to decide our own future, or are they happy to continue to deny Scottish democracy just like their London bosses”.
John Swinney has said that he will seek another mandate to request an independence referendum if the SNP win a majority at next year’s Holyrood election.
Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said: “Scots are utterly sick and tired of divisive SNP politicians constantly droning on about independence. They obsess about breaking up the UK while they trash Scotland’s public services and hammer workers with higher taxes.
“John Swinney should instead focus on cutting NHS waiting lists, tackling classroom violence, fixing the roads and growing our economy. The next Holyrood election should not be about another referendum on independence, but a referendum on the SNP’s abysmal record in government.”
Scottish Labour and the Scottish LibDems were approached for comment.
