A US-BORN professor last night called for Scotland to "have the right to choose" its own future during a passionate Debate Night contribution.
Professor Joe Goldblatt spoke in favour of a second Scottish independence during BBC Scotland's flagship debate programme, which saw Labour's Monica Lennon, Scottish Tory Oliver Mundell and award-winning author Darren McGarvey take part.
READ MORE: Indyref2: Oliver Mundell accused of 'arrogance' over stance
Goldblatt, emeritus professor of planned events at Edinburgh's Queen Margaret University, was one of a number of audience members to take aim at Mundell's indyref2 stance. The Scottish Tories outright reject a second vote being held, despite recent polls suggesting support for both a referendum and Yes are in the lead.
“I believe that in a democracy we should have the right to choose every day of our lives”
— BBC Debate Night (@bbcdebatenight) February 26, 2020
This audience member says that as an immigrant and a “Scottish citizen” he has the right to another independence referendum. #bbcdn pic.twitter.com/LBcUYcg5Lp
Addressing the room during the indyref2 debate, the academic said: “My name is Professor Joe Goldblatt, and I was one of the 500 immigrants in this room that the First Minister reassured: ‘This is our country.’
“And therefore because this is my country, and I am now a Scottish citizen, I believe in a democracy we should have the right to choose every day of our lives.”
The professor received a large round of applause for the comments.
He wasn't the only audience member to attack the Scottish Tories' opposition to a fresh referendum being held.
Another guest accused Mundell, the former Scottish secretary's son, of typifying Tory "arrogance" with his stance.
He told the MSP: "It’s the arrogance – this attitude that we don’t know what we’re talking about. If we want to choose independence, if we want a referendum to actually say … it doesn’t automatically mean there will be independence.
"But the fact that you sit there and say ‘I know what you think’ – you don’t know what I think. You probably don’t even care what I think."
The Debate Night episode saw a number of other topics brought up, including drug deaths, LGBT education and the coronavirus.
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 hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel