Alister Jack denies plans to 'gerrymander' Scottish independence referendum

It was reported last week that UK ministers were looking into plans to impose new barriers to Scottish independence by legislating that more than half of Scotland’s entire electorate would have to vote Yes for the result to be accepted.  

SNP MP Tommy Sheppard criticised the plans as "entirely illegitimate" and an attempt at "gerrymandering" the process. 

A Supreme Court hearing on whether or not Scotland has the right to hold an independence referendum without Westminster’s consent is set to take place on October 11 and 12. 

On Wednesday, the court granted the SNP permission to intervene in the case with the party given until September 21 to file its own arguments. 

Speaking to BBC Scotland’s The Nine on Wednesday evening, Jack was quizzed about reports of Tory government plans to change the rules around an independence vote. 

READ MORE: Scottish Secretary Alister Jack criticised for delivering 'nothing for Scotland'

He said: “We’re not having a referendum. The First Minister’s taking her case to the Supreme Court. 

“It will deliberate sometime between October 11 and the end of the year I suspect. 

“We don’t see any need to make any adjustments around the rules of referenda at all because, as I say, we’re focused on delivering for people, not having constitutional upheaval through a referendum campaign.”

Jack was then asked if he could guarantee that there was going to be no changes at all to rules surrounding referendum. He replied: "Correct."

In the same interview, the Scottish Secretary refused to say whether he had backed Liz Truss in the Tory leadership election. 

He said he had an agreement with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross that they would “not declare” their voting intentions regarding who should replace Boris Johnson. 

Alister Jack ruled out any law changes that could lead to a referendum

Jack said: “At the end of it, the Scottish Conservatives would 100% back whoever was prime minister and we agreed not to declare our hand, either before, during or after, and to get right behind the Prime Minister and that’s where we are and I’m very pleased that we’re in that position.”

He also said he did not reveal to Truss who he had backed and was subsequently quizzed about Truss’s plans to tackle the energy crisis set to be announced on Thursday. 

Jack continued: “It is a very good package for domestic users and for business users of electricity. 

READ MORE: What has the Scotland Office been up to for three years under Alister Jack?

“I’m absolutely delighted with it. It’s a package that’s reflected for instance, if you think back to furlough, it will deliver for the whole of the United Kingdom.”

He refused to reveal any details on levels of spending or borrowing which Truss came in for questioning on in Wednesday’s PMQs. 

Jack said: “I can only say we’ll have to wait until Thursday for the detail because that’s what we’ve agreed rightly with the speaker. But I think people will be very pleased with it.”