I WAS interested to read the report on Tommy Sheppard’s take on the monarchy debate.
Twenty-five years is a long time in politics and everybody – press and politicians alike – has forgotten that back in 1997, the SNP conference passed a motion for a referendum on the head of state “within the first term of an independent Scottish government.”
In those days, conference was policy-forming in practice as well as in theory and sothat remained the official SNP line(quoted by John Swinney in interviews during his leadership) over the next decade10 or twelve years. Nowadays, SNP policy does not necessarily equate toScottish Government policy and I accept that the debate on the monarchy is best sidelined to let us focus on the battle forindependence.
Incidentally, when my resolution was being debated back in 1997, Nicola Sturgeon voted in favour while Alex Salmond, Kenny MacAskill and most of the leadership spoke against it. Most took the line “I am personally a republican, but this policy might lose us votes”.
Now Salmond and MacAskill are members of the pro-republican Alba Party.while it is suggested that Sturgeon is pro-monarchy.
Mary McCabe
Glasgow
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