INDEPENDENCE supporters have been resharing a clip of Ruth Davidson setting out what she believes constitutes a mandate for an independence referendum.
The former Scottish Tory leader, who has left parliament in favour of the unelected House of Lords and a position as a non-executive director at Royal London, has been among those downplaying the indyref2 mandate in recent days.
Davidson has been sharing posts saying the SNP should be focused on addressing poverty until the majority of Scots want a new referendum – even though Scotland just elected a pro-independence majority of MSPs.
To make matters particularly awkward for her, a BBC News clip from 2007 reveals exactly what she thinks a mandate would be.
Ruth Davidson: “If the Greens & the SNP… can get the votes in the Parliament, they’ll get a referendum. That’s what democracy is.” #ScotRef pic.twitter.com/ntvsMFA7Xi
— Liam Furby (@MrFurby) March 21, 2017
In the footage, the former MSP says “you don’t get a referendum for free, you have to earn it”.
"So if the Greens and the SNP and the SSP, or any of the other parties who have declared an interest in independence, get it over the line and can make a coalition, make a majority, get the votes in the Parliament, then they'll vote through a referendum," she adds. “That’s what democracy is all about.”
READ MORE: Ruth Davidson to join Royal London board just days after ending MSP career
Well. That’s what has happened, isn’t it Ruth? The voters elected the SNP and the Greens in the full knowledge that they support holding a referendum in the next parliament. Talk about moving the goalposts.
But hey, Ruth may have changed her mind since 2007. She’s certainly changed her mind about what democracy is at least, given she’s about to take her seat in the undemocratic House of Lords.
Remember that the number of unelected decision makers in the Lords is more than 830 – second in size only to the National People’s Congress of China.
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