ALAN Crockett (Long Letter, Apr 1) suggests that the SNP should use the forthcoming UK General Election as a plebiscite for independence. Many others have argued this in the past.
That sounds like a great idea until you remember that supporters of independence exist amongst SNP, Labour, Green, Alba, LibDem and even Tory voters. All independence supporters voting for a Unionist party candidate would automatically be counted as anti-independence.
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You cannot combine a constituency first-past-the-post election vote with a plebiscite vote on independence. What you can do is to use the system in the same way that a UK Government gets elected: if your party wins a majority of seats; it wins the election. In Scotland’s case (it must be in the SNP’s manifesto), a win for the SNP means negotiations begin on the route to independence.
If Westminster refuses to accept Scottish democracy, the SNP, by its actions in Westminster, should demonstrate the same disregard for UK democracy.
David Howie
Dunblane
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