The Scottish Government

First Minister Alex Salmond

Friday, November 30, 2007

We in the Scottish Government believe that sovereignty in Scotland lies with its people.

That is why our manifesto for the Scottish Parliamentary elections this year promised to provide an opportunity for the people to consider the concept of Scottish independence in a referendum during this Parliament.

As First Minister, it is my responsibility to explore and lead discussion on the options for constitutional change. I lead the first Scottish National Party Government to be elected in a devolved Scotland, so I will put the case for independence, its benefits and opportunities.

However, I also recognise there is a range of other views in our country and represented in the Parliament. The national conversation on our future is to allow the people of Scotland to debate, reflect and then decide on the type of Government which best equips Scotland for the future.

It is 10 years since the referendum to establish the Scottish Parliament. We have seen the potential of a Scottish Parliament to respond to the wishes and needs of the people of this country. But we have also seen the limitations of its current responsibilities.

I believe it is now time for us, the people of Scotland, to consider and choose our own future in the modern world.

Alex Salmond, First Minister

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Comments

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• 471. Sandy Thomson - Cromarty

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:47

  It really is astonishing to read comments stating that 'Scotland couldn't survive as an independent cnation'. When did we become a Third World country?

• 472. Diaspora - Scotland

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:48

  I grew up in Ireland, in a nation with mass unemployment, where the major export for 150 years young people.
  
  The celtic tiger that Alex and his advisors (like Robert Crawford) point to was NOT created quickly. It took seventy years and it was extremely bloody. And now the whole ediface is incredibly fragile. One decent global recession would send the Irish economy crashing into dust. The Irish model is a function of its historic context and that context is completely founded on bloodshed, civil war, party politics, state aid and small mindedness. It took seventy years for us to work all that out.
  
  Bloodshed - Would'nt happen here! Go into Glasgow for an Auld Firm game and deny it.
  
  Ethnic cleansing - would'nt happen here. Go into any of the refugee camps around Glasgow and tell me its not happening.
  
  Nation birth appears to be extremely painful. Its characterised by blood, hatred, sectarianisim and ethnic cleansing. I hope and pray that Alex and his collegues have a serious plan to get around all those elements.

• 473. Paul - Suffolk

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:48

  As an Englishman, I have always been proud that we have all (Welsh, Scots and English)managed to maintain a joint British identity for so long. If a majority of the Scottish people wish independence (and I'm still hazy on what exactly that would truly mean reference economic, defence and other issues) then you should and must have it, but I personally would be saddened greatly not to think we would be in partnership anymore. Although I cannot back it up with figures, I suspect a great many English people feel the same way. While I don't necessarily believe that 'united we stand, divided we fall', I do think that together - planning and working as a team - we could achieve so much more than operating as smaller units. What do others think? Could there be a way to maintain the United Kingdom in a different format to satisfy the majority of views?
  Paul Ryle

• 474. John - Glasgow

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:56

  I was looking for some other information / stories / opinion on the proposed referendum on independence. I looked through the bbc news website for both Scotland, the UK and the political section but couldn't find anything. An Australia website ABC seems to think it worthy of mention at least. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/15/2005231.htm
  We so need control of our own broadcasting.

• 475. Bruce R - Edinburgh

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:58

  I think it is right that the electorate are given a chance to make their views on the various options provided clear and certain in a referendum.
  
  However I think that the electorate have already made their intentions fairly clear by making the SNP the first minority 'government' in Holyrood.
  
  Not enough energy has been put into stating the case for devolving further powers to Holyrood. It is difficult to gauge how the new executive will cope with their current powers as they have yet to make any significant moves or face any particular problems.
  
  Also, the previous executive seemed very keen to rely on the Sewell motions to shift as much responsibility back to London as possible.
  
  I think the opposition parties are missing an opportunity to put forward a collective argument for keeping the Union. The more they rely on negative arguments of why an independent Scotland would fail, the more the SNP is cast in a positive light.
  
  If the point of this 'conversation' is to gauge the public attitude towards the options provided in the whitepaper, I would make it clear that I do not support moves to make Scotland independent. However I would support the Scottish Parliament gaining further powers, on the condition that the executive proves that they have the ideas and policies which makes such further devolution beneficial to Scotland.

• 476. sean - London

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:58

  As an Englishman married to a Scot this is one debate I am sick of:
  
  a) You had the chance to vote the SNP into a majority within your Parliament that would have a clear mandate for independence - you didn't why
  b) If you asked the English for a vote we would get rid of you in a second
  why?
  You could keep your Scots such as Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, John Reid and let us have a say over our own affairs - a Scots majority cabinet took us to war - should you not be ashamed of yourselves
  
  We are the truly multi-cultural society, some 10% are of an ethnic background, millions more other European, 15% of school children are of an ethnic background, in Scotland it is 1-2%, the English have seen a whole scale restructuring of our society, yes it is not smooth but I have black friends who find their trips to Scotland less than comforting and the comments about the ethnic mis of London I have from Scots who visit - does not bare repeating
  
  The city is the prime motor of the British economy, we could keep that money, most gas fields were in English water and it is estimated that a 3rd of the oil is English waters
  
  We are more enterprising the facts are clear, Scots seem to be constantly sucking at the teat of the public sector
  
  We still will have a voice in E

• 477. Boing - Dundee

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:58

  Sadly enough, the hallowed view of an independent Scotland is a view held by a majority of people who don't actually understand what it means for Scotland or for themselves.
  
  The SNP have only been elected in to power because people who didn't understand what they were voting for fell for the promise of 'independence' which tickled their more base ideals. They didn't think about how we would cope in the future, where the money or the workforces would come from, what they actually stood for... They just fell for the SNP blurb and thought 'lets get away from England and rule ourselves!'.
  
  Anyone with an ounce of common sense will realise that Scotland will flounder if it went alone and it would be mainly down to the views and ethics of the majority who voted SNP in the first place! Yes, scotland has lots of resources and spirit and blah and blah. But we also have massive poverty, large-scale unemployment, social problems, health problems, blah, blah... Governing ourselves will not fix these issues, it will only make them worse. The sooner the pro-independents realise and actually think beyond the 'Scotland is better free' viewpoint the better!
  

• 478. colin tainsh - largs

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 10:59

  i hope this 'converstaion'will mean more people will become interested and involved in the politics of our country. its a great idea, whether you believe in independance or not. once again the lack of imagination shown by labour/lib dem/conservative spokespersons amazes me. no party disputes there is a need for evolution of our devolved parliament and yet this opportunity for people to register their comments and become involved in the process is condemned, it would appear purely because it has come from the SNP. Back to old westminster 'ya-boo' antics. Keep up the innovative and dynamic governance of the first 100 days, Alex. Its the best way to convince the people of Scotland 'its time for change'.

• 479. Stephen Coyle - Glasgow

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 11:00

  I believe that the majority of Scots would embrace the cause of independence if the rational arguments for it were placed in front of them. Unfortunately the consequences of cultural imperialism over centuries and unionist myths have taken its toll on too many Scots who doubt their own ability to govern themselves. However, it is not too late for the majority of Scots to assert themselves in favour of their country and the restoration of nationhood.

• 480. Alan - Scotland, Malta, Latvia, Denmark, Ireland, etc.......

  Wednesday, August 15, 2007 11:01

  What on earth are we waiting for? There is no substitute for complete home rule. Referendum now. Unionist parties, are you listening?

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