CONCERNS have been raised that David Cameron’s plans to hold the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU in June next year could give the anti-Europe party Ukip an advantage at next May’s Holyrood elections.
Patrick Harvie MSP, co-convener of the Scottish Greens, has hit out at the provisional timing of the poll so close to the Scottish Parliament elections and raised the fear that Ukip could stand to gain.
“At the Scottish Parliament election in May voters will be focused on day to day issues such as health, education and employment, as well as Scotland’s own constitutional future,” he said.
“The suggestion that the build up to an EU in-out referendum would happen at the same time is simply unacceptable and would indicate that the UK Conservative Government views Scotland’s parliament as unimportant. It would also allow extremist anti-immigrant voices a disproportional platform during the Holyrood campaign period.”
Ken Macintosh, the Scottish Labour leadership candidate, echoed Harvie’s fears, and urged Cameron to wait until after the summer to hold the EU referendum.
“I would prefer there to be some distance between the Holyrood election and the EU referendum,” he said.
“The two are distinct and very important democratic events. I think Patrick Harvie has raised a genuine concern and it would be better if the poll took place after the summer.”
Sources close to Downing Street told a Sunday newspaper at the weekend that the date was being fast-tracked for June next year with the exact day to be announced at the Conservative party’s annual conference in October.
It is the first time so early a date had been publicised as the Government had previously insisted only that the vote would be held before the end of 2017.
When the news emerged the SNP hit out over the timescale, saying it would interfere with the Holyrood elections.
Reports on Sunday said the crisis in Greece, and negotiations by member states to keep Greece in the euro and inside the EU, were described as being “influential” over Downing Street’s reconsideration.
The UK Government wants a number of EU reforms including an opt-out from the closer nation-state union inside the EU, changes to the way work benefits apply to EU migrants and an easing of the way Brussels enforces EU legislation on member-state parliaments.
The Chancellor George Osborne has just been in Paris for a two day visit in the first of a series of tours to European capitals to push the reform case over the next six months.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here