LIBDEM leadership candidate Jo Swinson has been accused of “denying reality” on a second independence referendum.
Appearing in a LibDem leadership contest special of the Victoria Derbyshire show, Swinson claimed Scotland had “no mandate” for an independence referendum.
The SNP said her comments showed Swinson “denying reality”, and accused her of “stinking hypocrisy”, as she said the UK must be given a second say on the Brexit vote.
Derbyshire (pictured right) asked the LibDem MP if she was a hypocrite for backing a People’s Vote but not a fresh Scottish independenc referendum.
Swinson said: “There’s a big difference. As I’ve said, in 2014 in Scotland we had a debate which was based on a very detailed white paper that, to the SNP’s credit, they put forward, that said ‘this is our plan for an independent Scotland’.”
The host pressed her, saying that if Britain left the EU, circumstances would have changed from the first vote.
Swinson continued: “There’s not a mandate in Scotland to have a second independence referendum. The SNP have been putting forward their case and they have been losing seats – they lost 21 MPs at the 2017 election, where this was a key election in the issue, and myself and others got elected.
“What most people in Scotland want is Scotland in the UK, and the UK in the EU, and it’s only the LibDems making that case and standing up for both of those propositions.”
READ MORE: FACT CHECK: Is there a mandate for indyref2?
The SNP won the most Scottish seats in the 2017 General Election on a mandate to hold a second independence referendum.
Keith Brown, the SNP’s depute leader, said Swinson was making a mockery of democracy.
He said: “Jo Swinson just makes things up. The SNP won a mandate for a second independence referendum in elections in 2016 and 2017, and the Scottish Parliament voted in 2017 for one to be held. It’s appalling that Jo Swinson wants to reduce democracy to a mockery in which neither popular nor parliamentary sovereignty apply. She simply can’t square the circle of wanting another vote on Europe, but is denying the people of Scotland a choice on independence - the hypocrisy stinks. Six out of 10 Scots want a second indyref. So rather than denying this reality, Jo Swinson should respect the democratic mandate that exists.”
Swinson was going head-to-head with Ed Davey in the televised
debate. On the same subject, Davey said: “I agree with Jo. It’s really clear that in the independence referendum there was a detailed plan put forward for those who want independence, completely different from Brexit when there was no plan whatsoever, as we’ve seen.”
Ed Davey has also committed to backing a People’s Vote as LibDem leader.
The winner of the race will be announced July 23.
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