I HAVE been a fervent advocate of independence for Wales (and Scotland) for more than 50 years. So much so that my wife Dian and I spent three weeks in Edinburgh North and Leith canvassing for Scottish Independence immediately prior to the independence referendum of 2014.
I note an article in last Wednesday’s edition of your newspaper that refers to a “fall-back route to making Scotland independent should Boris Johnson continue to refuse a Section 30 order” (SNP grassroots rebel on party’s indyref2 plan, December 2). Granting this order would allow another referendum on Scottish independence.
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A YouGov poll conducted in Wales in late August 2020 showed that a substantial majority of even Labour voters (in the 2019 General Election) believed that the Welsh government – not the UK Government – should have the right to call an independence referendum. There is little doubt that a similar poll held in Scotland would find an even higher percentage favouring the Scottish Government having the right to call a Scottish independence referendum.
It may well be prudent for the Scottish Government to conduct such a survey of all Scottish electors – without delay – to ascertain which government should, in their view, have the right to call a Scottish independence referendum – the UK Government or the Scottish Government. The anticipated result would certainly strengthen the Scottish Government’s hand.
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Although the Northern Ireland government doesn’t actually have this power, the text of the Good Friday Agreement clearly shows that the people of Northern Ireland can effectively oblige the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to call a referendum that would give them the opportunity to leave (or remain in) the UK – a “United Ireland” referendum. This would have to occur if there were clear indications (presumably from the Stormont parliament and/or opinion polls) that the people of Northern Ireland would be likely to vote in favour of uniting with the Republic of Ireland (with no further referendum for at least seven years in the event of a No vote).
If this arrangement applied to Scotland it would almost certainly precipitate another independence referendum in 2021, for Scotland has an SNP government and opinion polls show that well over 50% of the Scottish people are now in favour of independence for Scotland.
Why on earth should the people of Northern Ireland have the power to decide on their constitutional future whereas the people of Scotland (and Wales) cannot? The current situation, in which a parliament/government almost totally dominated by MPs from England can continue to impose membership of the UK upon Scotland by denying its people the opportunity to assert its opposition (or consent) to membership of the Union, is absolutely outrageous. It is “Union by compulsion” at the mercy of a Prime Minister (and very many MPs) with a profound colonialist/imperialist mentality. In a general sense it amounts to “Scotland must do what England says”.
It is surely self-evident to any civilized person that membership of the Union (the UK) should be voluntary for all four member nations – Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and, indeed, England.
If Boris Johnson continues to obstinately refuse to grant a Section 30 order to the Scottish Government it would, in my view, have a just and moral duty to the people of Scotland to employ a “fall-back route” – conducting an independence referendum in any event and implementing its result, thus complying with the wishes of the Scottish people.
Gwyn Hopkins
Llanelli, Wales
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