EVERY vote cast for the Scottish Greens at the next General Election will count towards a pro-independence majority, the party has confirmed.
Following the Supreme Court ruling that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold an independence referendum, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday that she will continue with the party's plans to hold a de-facto referendum at the next UK-wide election.
With the SNP and Scottish Greens co-operation agreement in place, both parties have now confirmed that they will fight the next General Election on the single issue of independence.
READ MORE: Media demands to know when Nicola Sturgeon will resign
Alba leader Alex Salmond has previously argued that all Yes parties should fight under one banner in a bid to reach 50% of the vote plus one.
Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer outlined the party’s position in response to a statement by Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson on Wednesday afternoon.
Greer first challenged Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross's claim that unionist parties had won more votes at the Holyrood election in 2021 than Yes parties.
The Greens MSP told the chamber: “Not only did the SNP and the Greens win more seats than the opposition at last year’s General Election, we won 16,057 more votes than the anti-independence parties combined.
"We did so on the basis of manifestos which committed to giving the people of Scotland a choice over their future.
“The onus is now on the UK Government to explain how, if this a voluntary union, a part of that union can decide whether to stay or to go."
Turning to the issue of securing a pro-independence majority in a de-facto referendum, Greer asked: “In the absence of any alternative being put forward by Westminster though, does the Cabinet Secretary agree with me that every vote cast for pro-independence candidates at the 2024 General Election will count towards that mandate for Scotland’s independence.”
Responding to the question, Robertson told the Chamber: “Indeed they will and as democrats it beholds us all to embrace every democratic opportunity to secure democratic change.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel