Ash Regan: International community will respect Scottish self-determination

The Edinburgh Eastern MSP was pushed on her rebrand of the de facto referendum bid, which she now calls a “voter empowerment strategy” during a BBC interview on Sunday morning.

The former minister, who quit her role in the Scottish Government over the gender reform legislation, also reiterated her opposition to working with the Scottish Greens under the Bute House co-operation agreement, adding that the “tail is wagging the dog”.

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Regan’s independence strategy, set out at her campaign launch in North Queensferry on Friday, would see her plan set out on “line one” of each party manifesto.

It would state that if the SNP, in conjunction with or without other pro-independence parties achieved a majority of seats and votes cast, then negotiations would begin on “day one of the new Parliament”.

Regan’s “voter empowerment mechanism” is designed to let the Scottish people “decide when they are ready”, she said at the launch.

On BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Regan was asked what happens in the event Westminster simply refuse to negotiate, as they have previously.

Regan insisted the international community would support Scotland's right to independence (Image: PA)

Regan said: “Well there's 65 countries that have become independent from either the UK or the British Empire over the last while, and most of them actually didn't use referendums, that's not the normal way for this to occur.

“So obviously, you'll know Ireland, USA, countries like that, etc..”

BBC journalist Martin Geissler pointed out that the USA was “going back a bit”. The United States won its independence from the British Empire through the American Revolutionary War between 1775-1783. 

Geissler added that both UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer have said they wouldn’t negotiate.

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Regan said: “We demonstrate the will of the Scottish people for independence to rising popular support, that's the normal way to do this.

“And in every case, out of those 65 countries that I mentioned earlier, the UK government initially refused permission to recognise, but eventually, because of pressure from the international community, they succumbed to that and eventually they agreed to do it.

“And, also, you must remember that there is the UN Charter Article 1.2. respect for self-determination, and that's what we're talking about here.”

Regan added that she didn’t believe the UK Government would have a “legitimate right to refuse us”.

Torrance, right, a former Alba candidate, is on Regan's leadership campaign team (Image: PA)

Geissler then asked Regan who was advising her on her independence strategy. It follows the MSP bringing former Alba Holyrood candidate Kirk Torrance onto her team last week, fuelling speculation that she may be taking instructions from Alex Salmond or his party on her policy strategy.

However, Regan refuted this, replying: “To be honest, I have my own mind. You said at the beginning of the programme that I was the only SNP Minister that's ever resigned on a point of policy.

“I think you can let me have some credit that I might be able to come up with some of my own policy ideas.”

Regan previously told The National she hadn’t spoken to Salmond during the first week of her campaign and that she “didn’t know” what Alba’s policies are.

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We also exclusively told how Regan wasn’t “scared” of running a minority government if the Scottish Greens pulled out of the Bute House agreement due to their support for the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. Regan has said she would not challenge the UK Government’s use of a Section 35 order to stop the legislation from gaining Royal Assent.

Asked about her views on working with the Scottish Greens, Regan said: "Now the SNP got 45% of the vote at the last election, and the Greens only got 4%, so you can't be held hostage by that situation.

"I think there is a perception out there in society, that the government is not prioritising things that are important to the people of Scotland. I think that's out there.

“I want to re-prioritised onto the things that people in Scotland think are really important.

“That's things like the NHS, the cost of living crisis, and the economy.”

Regan was also asked if she took over the leadership of the SNP and put her policies in place if it would turn off SNP voters who back the party but not necessarily independence.

She said: “Well that's what I'm saying. If you want independence, then you will vote for… you know, you’ll vote for the SNP.

“And this is an opportunity, a great opportunity to hold the SNP to account.”