ANGUS Robertson blasted a Tory MSP for “putting words in my mouth” during a furious exchange over John Swinney’s “secret plan” to secure an independence referendum.
The Constitution Secretary told MSPs that Jamie Halcro Johnston’s behaviour was “unacceptable” as the pair clashed in Holyrood on Thursday morning.
Robertson was being quizzed by members of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs, and Culture committee as part of its inquiry into legal mechanisms to trigger an independence referendum.
Following Swinney’s speech to the SNP conference in Aberdeen in October, where he said “nobody knows” the tactics he will deploy to win a majority of SNP MSPs, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon weighed in and said she had confidence in him to deliver his “secret plan”.
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Swinney has centered his Holyrood 2026 campaign around winning a majority of SNP MSPs, citing the 2011 election win that led to the 2014 referendum.
Halcro Johnston began his questioning by asking Robertson if a secret plan exists.
“What I'm very clear about is that a party in its manifesto saying that it is committed to and its MSPs will vote for a referendum taking place, is a mandate for that choice,” Robertson said in his reply.
“Now, we don't need to go around the houses again on this, but it would appear that the salient point here is being lost by some, that there is a difference between the right of self-determination and an agreed route as democrats to be able to do that, with the pros and cons of independence itself.
"Still, nobody on the No side of the constitutional argument has been prepared to address this.”
Halcro Johnston then again asked: “Is there a plan? Let's not call it a secret plan, let's call it a plan that at the moment the SNP want to keep secret.”
Robertson said: “As Mr Halcro Johnston, I'm sure won't be surprised to learn, I'm a democrat and the Scottish National Party is a democratic party that believes in the democratic process.
"So the plan is based on those principles.
“We are standing for election, standing for election to this parliament, and if we are elected, we will pursue an independence referendum.
“Now, in any other country, in any other circumstance that would not be considered to be a strange proposition, that the party that wins with a manifesto commitment to do something actually does it.
“In fact, in most normal countries, opposition parliamentarians would be jumping up and down talking about delivering their manifesto commitment.”
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Halcro Johnston interjected: “So the secret plan is, do what you’ve done before but haven’t achieved?”
Committee convener Clare Adamson, an SNP MSP, intervened to ask Halcro Johnston to stick to the substance of the committee’s report, rather than focusing on the election.
Halcro Johnston continued by stating that any push for a referendum would have to have “legality to it”.
“The suggestion is, from what you're saying, there isn't a legal plan,” he said.
“It is the plan, the secret plan, the plan has been kept secret, is simply to do what you've done before and hope…”
Robertson interjected: “I would never presume to describe the democratic process in the way that Mr Halcro Johnston has just done.
“I would have thought that as democrats, again, all of us would be clamouring for the upholding of both domestic and international democratic standards, which is when the people elect a government to do something, they are empowered to get on and do it...”
Halcro Johnson then accused the Constitution Secretary of “dancing around the issue”, adding that there “isn’t anything different” that Robertson had said.
“There is no other route to Scottish independence than the ballot box,” Robertson fired back.
“I'm committed to that, and I would hope Mr Halcro Johnston would be committed to that as well.”
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The Tory MSP could be heard saying there was “no secret plan”, while a visibly annoyed Robertson said he was “putting words in my mouth”.
“Yes or no, is there a secret plan?” Halcro Johnston asked.
Robertson replied: “There is a plan to secure Scottish independence, and it is through the ballot box.”
Adamson again intervened and asked the pair to be “concise” in their questions and answers.
The Tory MSP said: “Okay, well, I'll finish it, because that's really all I want to establish, and it seems to have amused SNP colleagues around this table.
"I think those who voted or who will be watching who are very passionate nationalists, and I can … I don't understand why they're passionate nationalists, but I understand their passion in their country, will be looking at this today and being slightly concerned that, having been told that there was some sort of great strategy, some sort of plan by the SNP, there isn't one, and I think you've confirmed that, so I'll just leave it at that.”
A furious Robertson said: “I'm sorry, words are being put in my mouth by Jamie Halcro Johnston, and I'm sorry that's just not acceptable.”
The Constitution Secretary added: “Convener, with your permission, am I in a position to answer the question?”
Halcro Johnston spoke before the convener, adding: “No, you’re clearly not, otherwise we would have had an answer at some point.”
Robertson, who could be seen raising his arms in frustration, could be heard saying over laughter from MSPs: “Is he serious? Is he serious?”
Adamson said: “I'm sorry, but this is a serious issue on a serious report that we've done a considerable amount of work on, Cabinet Secretary, I think your views have been made clear on the record.”
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