Nicola Sturgeon urged to include third ‘home-rule’ option in independence vote
ANY FUTURE Scottish independence referendum should include a third option known as "home-rule", it has been claimed.
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Scottish Labour has hinted that if another independence vote ever occurred it should include a “home-rule" option which could see Scotland remain part of the UK but have more political power. The concept is similar to Greenland, which was granted "home rule" from Denmark in 1979 and was seen as a stepping stone to achieving full independence.
Greenland is responsible for the majority of policy areas including policing, the judicial system, aviation, border controls as well as financial regulation and supervision.
However, Denmark still retains control of monetary policy and foreign affairs including defence.
According to The Times, the concept was put forward by party leader Richard Leonard who hinted the party could support the inclusion of a third option on a ballot paper which would give voters the chance to back more powers for Holyrood.
Mr Leonard claimed: "I think there is a wider point which has come out in the last few months which is about the imbalance of power which still exists.”
He argued the UK was “still extremely centralised” claiming political power was focused “around the city of London and around Westminster and Whitehall.”
Sir Keir Starmer is set to set out views on Scottish independence on Friday.
The latest poll undertaken by Ipsos Mori puts Scottish Labour third in the Holyrood race with 14 percent of constituency votes and 16 percent of regional list votes.
This means the party is set to lose four seats next spring on current projections.
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At the same time, Gordon Brown claimed Scots would not vote for Scottish independence.
The former prime minister predicted that Scots would vote to remain part the UK in another referendum but warned it would be a "hard battle" to keep the union together.
Mr Brown said: "I think if there was a referendum, we'd win and Scotland would stay in the United Kingdom.
"But it's got to be a hard battle because people are frustrated, they're fed up, not just in Scotland, but in the regions of England and Wales."
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He argued there should not be another independence referendum next year amid the country's economic recovery from the pandemic, the vaccination rollout and any further waves of coronavirus.
In response, SNP depute leader Keith Brown MSP, said: “Labour have been promising home rule for Scotland for more than a century.
“Even now — in the face of the most extreme Tory government in living memory, which is intent on ripping up the devolved settlement — they are still talking the same language.”