THE SNP have dismissed Gordon Brown’s suggestion that Nicola Sturgeon is refusing to “come clean” on independence.
The former prime minister has appealed for Scotland’s ruling party to “open the books” on the financial implications of a Yes vote.
It comes as his think tank, which he recently announced will be entirely focused on fighting independence, published research which suggests 58% of Scots don’t have enough information about the implications of leaving the Union.
The SNP, however, insisted they will present a “detailed and comprehensive prospectus for independence” once the Covid crisis has passed.
Brown’s think tank, Our Scottish Future, commissioned a survey which asked if campaigners for independence “have given enough information about what Scotland would be like if it became independent (eg: on currency, taxation, legal rights, EU membership, the border) for you to make a fully informed choice at a future referendum?”
A total of 58% said no, while 30% said yes and 12% said don’t know. Among those who strongly favour independence, 66% said they had enough facts, but 24% said they did not.
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Brown commented: “Middle Scotland’s support for the SNP and for independence is conditional – and they are now asking the SNP for honesty, for openness and for getting the facts on the table. It is time for the SNP to open the books.
“I believe that it is time for the SNP to agree to hold public hearings on what independence means for everything from the pound to the pension.”
He added: “When even a quarter of committed independence supporters agree we don’t know enough to make an informed choice on independence, surely the onus is on the SNP to come clean?”
The SNP hit back, questioning why the former Labour leader wants to keep Scotland tied to a “disastrous hard-Brexit Tory Government”.
MSP George Adam pointed out his party won the election “by a landslide” noted a bigger than ever 15-seat majority for independence at Holyrood.
He said: “The First Minister was absolutely clear throughout the election campaign, as was the SNP manifesto, that her immediate focus was continuing to lead Scotland safely through the pandemic.
“But once the Covid crisis has passed, people in Scotland have the right to choose our own future, and whether to equip our parliament with the powers it needs to drive Scotland’s long-term recovery, not to leave our recovery in the hands of the austerity-driven Tories.
“That means there will be a post-pandemic independence referendum.”
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Adam continued: “As the First Minister has repeated time and time again, it will be at that point the SNP bring forward a detailed and comprehensive prospectus for independence – as it did in 2014 - that addresses all those questions the people of Scotland will quite rightly want answered.
“Meanwhile, the people of Scotland might also want to know why Gordon Brown continues to campaign to keep Scotland subjected to a disastrous hard-Brexit Tory Government – which this country has emphatically rejected – and deny us the immense opportunities of having full powers to use our human and natural resources to build a better Scotland.”
The Our Scottish Future research was carried out by Stack Data Strategy. Around 1000 Scots were questioned between May 7 and 8, with responses weighted for age, gender, education, and Holyrood vote.
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