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January 10th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda - Labour pledges to join forces with the Coalition to save the 300-year-old Union with England
- Scottish government furious at PM David Cameron’s attempts to wrestle
control back from First Minister Alex Salmond
By
Suzannah Hills
Last updated at 5:56 PM on 10th January 2012
The leader of the Scottish National Party Alex Salmond has launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister – accusing him of trying to impose ‘London string’s’ on Scotland’s referendum.
The Westminster coalition wants the vote on Scotland’s independence to be held ‘sooner rather than later’ and is set to publish its own proposals for a referendum in the next few days alongside advice received by ministers on the legal implications of such a vote.
Mr Cameron insists the Government’s plan would allow a ‘fair, legal and decisive’ resolution to the uncertainty’.
But his intervention was greeted with anger by the Scottish National Party (SNP), which accused London of trying to dictate to Scotland the terms
of a referendum.
The Scottish National party and its leader Alex Salmond, pictured right accused Mr Cameron, pictured left, of dictating the terms of a referendum to Scotland
SNP leader Alex Salmond claimed David Cameron was behind an ‘entirely unacceptable Tory attempt to impose London strings on Scotland’s referendum’.
His statement comes as Scottish
secretary Michael Moore is expected to tell MPs today that the
Westminster coalition wants the vote to be held as soon as possible but
he will not set the Government’s requested deadline of 18 months on the
vote.
Mr Salmond said: ‘The UK Government is in a state of total confusion.
‘Overnight, yesterday’s 18-month
sunset clause had disappeared into the sunset, the coalition is riven
with tensions and Westminster is backtracking in the face of the massive
thumbs-down from opinion in Scotland to Tory interference in the
Scottish democratic process.
Scotland’s nationalist government reacted with fury yesterday to the Prime Minister’s attempts to wrestle control back from First Minister Alex Salmond (pictured right)
‘The issue is the entirely
unacceptable Tory attempt to impose London strings on Scotland’s
referendum, from a Westminster Government with absolutely no mandate for
these matters.’
He continued: ‘In stark contrast to
Westminster’s disarray, the Scottish Government will continue with the
orderly process of bringing forward the referendum in the second half of
this Parliament.
‘This afternoon the Cabinet will put
the final touches to a consultation document setting out the Scottish
Government’s detailed proposals for the referendum, which will be
published later this month.’
Mr Salmond is thought to want to conduct
the poll in 2014 to coincide with the 700th anniversary of the Battle
of Bannockburn, Scotland’s most famous military victory over England.
It is understood he hopes resentment over Government austerity measures will be at a peak then.
54% OF SCOTS WANT TO STAY IN THE UK
More than half of Scottish voters want to remain in the United Kingdom, according to a poll released today.
Some 54% of people in Scotland questioned by Ipsos Mori for the thinktank British Future said they wanted to stay in the Union – compared to just 29% who backed independence.
The poll, released as the Government, set out its position on the terms of any referendum on independence and also showed similar majorities in both England and Wales in favour of Scotland staying in the UK.
According to the survey, voters north of the border are slightly more enthusiastic about preserving the Union than people in England or Wales.
Some 48 per cent of those questioned in England backed the Union, against 27 per cent who supported independence for Scotland.
In Wales, 41 per cent wanted Scotland to stay in the UK, while 29 per cent said it should become independent.
Support for the Union was stronger among older people, with six out of 10 over-55s wanting Scotland to stay in the UK, compared to four out of 10 of those aged 16-44.
Independence for Scotland was more popular among men (32 per cent) than women (23 per cent).
And middle-class professionals were more likely to want to keep the Union (53 per cent) than those in lower skilled posts (46 per cent) or unskilled jobs (44 per cent).
Ipsos Mori interviewed 2,320 people across Great Britain between November 30 and December 6, including 497 in Scotland.
The
SNP administration has also not ruled out including a third ‘devo-max’
option, which would see Scotland stay in the UK but gain more power over
its own affairs, including greatly-enhanced financial powers.
Mr
Cameron has denied he is trying to ‘dictate’ the terms of the
referendum from Westminster – insisting that it will be for people in
Scotland to decide whether they stay in the Union.
He said: ‘I want the United Kingdom to stay together.
‘It is a fantastically successful partnership. I think Scotland and England are better off in the United Kingdom.
‘But we can’t stand in the way of a part of the UK if it wants to ask the question ‘Are we better off outside it?’
‘What I think the Scottish people deserve is a fair, clear and decisive question.
‘We
have to have legal clarity over who is responsible for this decision.
Is it the Westminster Parliament or is it the Scottish Parliament? We
will be setting out the legal position and trying to find a way
through.’
But a spokesman for Mr Salmond insisted that the ‘days of Westminster determining what happens in Scotland are over’.
He added: ‘We’ll bring forward our proposals, we’ll stick to what we said we would do in the election.’
During last year’s election campaign, Mr Salmond had said a vote on independence would take place during the second half of Holyrood’s five-year parliamentary term.
However, Mr Cameron has claimed the delay in resolving the independence issue was damaging to Scotland’s economy.
He said: ‘If Alex Salmond wants a referendum on independence, why do we wait until 2014?
‘This is very damaging for Scotland because all the time businesses are asking ‘Is Scotland going to stay part of the UK? Are they going to stay together? Should I invest?’
‘We are beginning to see companies asking those questions, so I think it is rational to put to the Scottish people, would it be better to have a more fair and decisive question put earlier?”
The SNP has denied the situation is having a negative impact on the economy, with a spokesman for the First Minister saying: ‘The damage to Scotland’s economy is coming from the disastrous policies of the Tory/Lib Dem Westminster Government – which is why the UK Government should be amending the Scotland Bill to give the Scottish Parliament the economic and financial powers so that we can boost growth, recovery, and jobs.’
He stated: ‘The reality is that businesses at home and abroad are voting with their feet with full confidence in Scotland’s future by making huge investments.
‘In recent months, Avaloq, Dell, Gamesa, Amazon, Doosan Power Systems and Michelin, to name just a few, have invested in Scotland – and, with the full financial and economic powers of independence, we can achieve even more.’
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, pictured said a referendum should be held a in Scotland
An independence referendum can only be legally valid if
both Westminster and Holyrood parliaments agree to it going ahead.
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said last night: ‘We want the referendum to be held as quickly as possible and we want it to be run in Scotland.’
As
senior Labour figures signalled their backing for David Cameron’s
high-risk attempt to force Holyrood to hold an independence referendum
quickly, Government sources said Scotland’s future in the EU would be a
central issue.
Constitutional experts believe an
independent Scotland would be forced to reapply for EU membership – and,
like all new members, would have to commit to joining the ill-fated
single currency.
But Dr Jo Murkens, senior lecturer in law at the London School of Economics, said claims the country could remain in the EU and keep the pound were ‘bizarre’.
‘Continued membership would only be possible with the approval of all 27 member states,’ she said. ‘An independent Scotland would have to join the EU as a new accession state, which could take years.
‘All the new member states are legally obliged to adopt the euro at some future point.’
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Fi, East Kilbride – out of going on for 900 comments, your is by far the best. I`m very glad you come to Yorkshire, you are most welcome.
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@ Angus, Stornoway, Scotland………. Angus – don’t bite the generous English hand that feeds you – and keeps you alive. A little gratitude to the English taxpayers – would be appreciated.
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just do it and shut up
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let’s have a referendum in England, on whether we English want an independent Scotland. and let’s have it this summer. with a bit of quick legislation, we could be shot of them by next hogmanay, or whatever they call it.
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Jimmy, Ecosse. – Yorkshire is traditionally known as God`s own County because that`s what it`s like, and that`s where I`m from. Nothing to do with wanting or not wanting to be associated with my country, England. I love England. And are you so ashamed of Scotland, you have to call it by it`s French name?
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If anywhere deserves independance its London
– F.Heinemann, London, 10/01/2012 16:53
Then have a referendum for that! London can keep Cameron and you can keep a*** licking Brussels and the rest of the uk will stay a nation an govern ourselves out of the EU! Sounds like the ideal situation for all of actually!! Cheerio!!
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Mr Duvassy. – Angus, Stornoway Scotland, 10/1/2012 17:33, Angus if this big ‘collusion’ or ‘lie’ existed, which it didn’t because you’re just making it up as you are yet another childish Scottish Nationalist living in a dream state’ Thats odd because both the Tories and Labour have since admitted it is true.
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The sooner they vote yes the better! The Romans had the right idea, we should rebuild Hadrians wall, kick em all out with their girly skirts and put machine gun nests up to keep em away once and for all!
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David Cameron’s place in history is ensured by this. He will be remembered as the man who undid 2,000 years of progress and destroyed Great Britain forever just to furnish his own greed. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should throw England out of the UK and the Queen should rule from Balmoral.
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What gets me with all this is the arrogance of some Scots. This will affect England, Wales and NI hugely too. What about our rights to have this matter cleared up asap. We need to know what the Scots want to do so we can all move on. Have the referendum. Yes or no! No devo lite, which just seems to be independence for Scotland but the rest of the UK will pick up the bills. But please Scotland, just get on with it so we all know where we stand.
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