LIBDEM Alistair Carmichael has been accused of “sheer hypocrisy” over his support for a second EU referendum.
In a combative interview with Talk Radio’s Mike Graham yesterday afternoon, the former secretary of state for Scotland said that just because the 2016 vote was described as a “once-in-a-generation event” at the time shouldn’t now mean that it actually was a “once-in-a-generation event”.
He told the host: “My party in 2017 stood on a manifesto that said we had voted for a departure we hadn’t specified a destination, when we knew what that destination was we should have a people’s vote on it. I am quite entitled to take the view that I did, others can account for their own.”
Graham then asked him: “Are you going to tell me that Nick Clegg did not say it was a once-in-a-generation vote and you’re now asking for a second referendum?”
Carmichael replied: “Well of course we said that it would be a once-in-a-generation vote. Describing something as a once-in-a-generation event is not the same thing as making a manifesto promise. It’s a description, that’s a promise. I think there’s a big difference here.”
Graham then replied: “You’re telling me that Liberal Democrat lies are okay, everybody else’s lies are not?”
“Getting pejorative like that really doesn’t help the debate,” Carmichael told the host.
He later said Clegg’s promise that the 2016 referendum was “once in a generation” was a “misjudgement” rather than a lie.
“If you try and pretend that every misjudgment is a lie then frankly the political discourse falls to the bottom of the pool.”
SNP MP Pete Wishart said that Carmichael had “in a matter of seconds dismantled his party’s incoherent argument when it comes to giving the people a say in a second referendum given the material change in circumstance”.
He added: “The LibDems are in favour of a second EU referendum but will deny the people of Scotland having a say over their own future. People will not be fooled by the LibDems over their sheer hypocrisy.
“Despite their selective reference to ‘democrats’ in their party name, the reality is the LibDems simply cannot be taken at their word.”
Last month, the LibDem leader Jo Swinson insisted it would not be hypocritical for her to oppose indyref2 even if pro-independence parties win a majority in the next Scottish Parliament election.
In an interview with STV, the LibDem leader denied hypocrisy. She said: “I would like to have a People’s Vote where a specific Brexit deal is put to the people for a final say.
“I’ve been campaigning for that for the last three and a half years and I’m still going to campaign to make that happen.
“But it is possible that we end up in a General Election where the issue of Brexit will be decided, where Boris Johnson will say that a majority for the Conservatives will be a mandate to deliver a No-Deal Brexit.
“I think it is vital that in such an election, the public have the chance to choose a different option – to choose no Brexit – and to choose a Liberal Democrat majority government that will stop Brexit by revoking Article 50. I don’t think there’s anybody that looks at this situation and doesn’t agree we’re in a complete mess with Brexit, so we need to find a way through that. We’re not in a mess in terms of Scotland’s position within the United Kingdom.
“There’s no argument to say that suddenly having a referendum that puts huge uncertainty onto our economy, that makes it harder to get business investment, that damages job prospects, is something that is a positive thing to do.”
She said the 2014 referendum was “on a very specific deal”.
Her comments came after a new poll revealed more than three-quarters of Tory Leave voters would sacrifice Scotland’s place in the Union if it meant Brexit could happen.
The survey, carried out for Lord Ashcroft, found that 76% of Tory Leave voters, 48% of Labour Leave voters and 36% of all voters in England prioritised Brexit over Scotland remaining in the UK.
Overall, 51% of English voters said they wouldn’t mind if Scotland voted for independence, and just 39% said they’d be sorry to see us leave.
Some 43% of voters believe Brexit makes Scottish independence more likely, with 23% saying it makes no difference.
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