What’s the SNP scared of?

The Battle for Britain is heating up this week, with the pro-union campaign launched in Edinburgh this morning and a Spectator debate on the union on Wednesday. We have, as ever, a strong lineup – but the Scottish National Party is noticeable by its absence. I thought CoffeeHousers may like to know why not. 

We planned the debate ages ago, and from the offset wanted SNP to be on board. As Scottish separation would have implications for the whole of the UK we asked someone to make the case for English separation: Kelvin MacKenzie. And someone to speak up for the union: Sir Malcolm Rifkind. The Nats didn’t like this one bit. We tried to accommodate them, but their condition – that we allow two SNP members to be on the same team – was one we just could not satisfy. We had to go ahead without them. We called Margo MacDonald, who quit the SNP and now sits in Holyrood as an independent nationalist. She said yes immediately and was not in the least concerned about the other panelists, seeming to have complete confidence in the strength of her own argument. As Margo’s fans will know, she has the ballast of about five ordinary parliamentarians. 

The SNP’s refusal to take part in the debate was, to me, deeply puzzling. I admire Alex Salmond almost as much as I disagree with him, and The Spectator has awarded him two top gongs in our Parliamentarian of the Year awards in recent years. Is the SNP really so scared of Sir Malcolm? Was there some dislike of the idea of debating on enemy soil? Or did they bridle at our inclusion of an English voice in the debate about Britain? We organize lots of debates at The Spectator. This is the first time anyone has asked to have two representatives on a six-person panel. It seems that the SNP is, to use one of Salmond’s beloved Scottishisms, feart. 

Is Sir Malcolm really so scary? Is the prospect of an English audience too intimidating? Or accepting that they are in agreement with Kelvin about the union? Perhaps the prospect of real, non-rigged debate is in itself something that the SNP has reason to be wary of. I’m not sure. But to see what made the SNP demand safety in numbers, do come and join us in South Kensington on Wednesday night for the debate. Tickets are still available, here.

PS: The debate was always going to be a six-person contest over the motion ‘It’s time to let Scotland go’. Here is a list of the speakers:

 For: Gerry Hassan, Kelvin MacKenzie and Margo MacDonald

 Against: Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Rory Stewart MP and Iain Martin.