So, Alex Salmond has named his date for the independence referendum: August 2014, a few weeks after the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. David Cameron wanted it earlier, and may yet refuse to grant Salmond this date — No10 hasn’t yet responded. Cameron was forcing the issue on the grounds that he wanted to end uncertainty — Salmond is now offering certainty, at least in terms of timing.
But he hasn’t said whether he wants a two- or three-question referendum. This is crucial, because Salmond is likely to lose an independence referendum and he knows it. So his game plan will be to have a third option, a consolation prize, so he doesn’t walk away from this empty handed. One option facing Cameron is to grant Salmond the August 2014 date, on condition that it is a yes-no question. Or Cameron could refuse to budge, and tell Salmond that the referendum will be held in the next two years or not at all.
As we have seen, Salmond’s rich friends are capable of staging referenda on issues that they consider important enough (Brian Souter of Stagecoach fame did so on Section 28). But no matter what happens next, both Salmond and Cameron have found in each other something that neither has had for years — a capable and determined enemy. The battle for Britain has begun.
UPDATE: Here are some words from Salmond. He’s in full ‘Father of the Nation’ mode, talking as if he embodies Scotland. His enemies are English upstarts, a referendum date decided by him is a referendum ‘made in Scotland’, the prime Minister of the United Kingdom should not ‘interfere’ etc. He has been preparing for this battle all his adult life, and even the SNP’s electoral fortunes matter less to him than the prospect for winning a referendum.
‘Overnight, yesterday’s 18-month sunset clause had disappeared into the sunset, the coalition is riven with tensions and Westminster is backtracking in the face of the massive thumbs-down from opinion in Scotland to Tory interference in the Scottish democratic process.
The issue is the entirely unacceptable Tory attempt to impose London strings on Scotland’s referendum, from a Westminster Government with absolutely no mandate for these matters.
‘In stark contrast to Westminster’s disarray, the Scottish Government will continue with the orderly process of bringing forward the referendum in the second half of this Parliament.
‘This afternoon the Cabinet will put the final touches to a consultation document setting out the Scottish Government’s detailed proposals for the referendum, which will be published later this month.’
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