Yahoo News Scottish Parliament suspends debate on second independence referendum in wake of Westminster terror attack
The Scottish Parliament has suspended a debate on whether to back Nicola Sturgeon’s demand for a second independence referendum following the Westminster terror attack.
Presiding officer Ken Macintosh, Holyrood’s version of the Commons Speaker, said the incident in London was affecting the contributions of MSPs, and that the debate would resume at another time.
The parliament’s authorities had earlier decided the debate should continue but they came in for criticism on social media from some MSPs, including Ruth Davidson.
Mr Macintosh said MSPs would be updated when the debate and vote, which had been scheduled for 5.30pm, would take place. However, with the details of the attack still emerging, it appeared unlikely that the parliament would reconvene on Wednesday.
The vote when it occurs will trigger an official demand from Ms Sturgeon to the Prime Minister for talks over a Section 30 order, the legal mechanism used to transfer the powers to Holyrood for a referendum, preferably between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
But Mrs May announced last week that she would not allow another independence vote until Brexit has been negotiated and Scots can see how it has worked out.
Mr Macintosh told the Holyrood chamber: “"Members will be aware and members of the public too will probably be aware from social media and other news reports they are following on their phones that there's been a serious incident at Westminster and Westminster itself has been locked down because of security concerns.
"I've certainly no wish to cause undue alarm here and security has been increased here, but I'm also aware and the business manager and I have discussed this, that the fact that our sister Parliament has had a serious incident is affecting this particular debate and is affecting the contribution of members and so it is for that reason we are deciding to suspend the sitting."
Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser had earlier called for business at the Scottish Parliament to be suspended but was told by Linda Fabiani, the deputy presiding officer, it would continue.
Ms Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, welcomed the about-turn, tweeting: “Very pleased that sense has won the day & Holyrood has been suspended until we have a better understanding of what is going on in WM.”
Ms Sturgeon tweeted: "My thoughts are with everyone in and around Westminster caught up in this dreadful incident - and with the brave emergency services." The First Minister left the debate shortly after details of the attack started to emerge.
Earlier, Alex Neil, a Scottish Government Minister, argued that the referendum should not be called until after a trade deal is struck between the UK and EU.
He told MSPs this would dictate the terms of trade between a separate Scotland in the single market and the rest of the UK and acknowledged this could take longer than the two-year Article 50 process.
Mr Neil, who voted Leave last year, also called for the citizens of a separate Scotland to be given another referendum on joining the EU.
He said: "The two issues have to be decoupled and the explicit approval I believe of the Scottish people has to be sought before Scotland applies to rejoin the EU as an independent state.
Scottish Independence | How Scotland voted in 2014
"The result of an EU referendum cannot be taken for granted, it is a very different question to ask if an independent Scotland should join the EU when the rest of the UK isn't in it because they would be outside the customs union and we would be in it and that has major implications.”
He added: "For the record... when it comes to the referendum on EU membership I find myself in a position where I would find it no more appetising for Scotland to be ruled by Mr Juncker than I would for it to be ruled by Mrs May.
"Austerity from London and austerity from Brussels are in my view equally damaging not just to Scotland but to the rest of the UK, and indeed to the rest of Europe."
Iain Gray, the former Scottish Labour leader, said the Scottish people are "caught between two intransigent, belligerent and inept governments".
He added: "They are not listening to each other and they are certainly not listening to the people.
"This is not a two-day debate, it has raged and ravaged this country for the 3,500 days of 10 long years and in that time our schools have haemorrhaged teachers, child poverty has soared, literacy and numeracy has plummeted, our NHS has reached breaking point, our economy has stalled.
But Fiona Hyslop, the External Affairs Minister, argued Scots should be given the chance to decide their future in light of a "fundamental" change in circumstances since the 2014 referendum.
She said: "The next two years are hugely important for Scotland, they will determine the kind of country we are to become.
"In those changed circumstances, and in that different context, surely it must be for the people of Scotland to decide their future."
In quotes | A second referendum on Scottish independence Timeline of Scottish independence
Calls for debate to be cancelled
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser asks deputy presiding officer Linda Fabiani have considered suspending proceedings as MSPs are distracted by events in London. She replied this has been considered but the decision has been made to carry on.
Agreed. https://t.co/1Nn9VKttUO
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonMSP) March 22, 2017
'SNP ignoring the decision of two million Scots'
Tory backbencher Maurice Golden up next accusing the SNP ignoring the decision of two million Scots in 2014.
SNP MSP John Mason intervenes asking whether he is arguing there should never be another vote and state general elections happen every four or five years.
But Mr Golden points out the SNP said it would be staged only once in a generation and it is less than three years since the last one. He says the SNP's obsession with independence has already cost a decade of failure on education and the justice system.
He says the SNP has failed to make clear what currency it would use or how it would close Scotland's huge deficit. He warns a separate Scotland in Europe faces trading tariffs with the rest of the UK, a market which is worth far more to Scottish firms.
Former Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray tried to undermine Nicola Sturgeon's mandate for another referendum by highlighting a series of broken SNP manifesto pledges, including abolishing student debt and the council tax.
'More than a hard Brexit'
Fiona Hyslop, the External Affairs Minister, opens up the second day with a plea for cross-party respect then quickly launches into an attack on Scotland's will being ignored by the Brexit vote.
She says leaving the EU with no deal at all is "more than a hard Brexit", and cited economists' evidence it would cause major damage to Scotland's economy.
She cited arguments during the 2014 referendum that the only way to stay in the EU was vote No.
Independence referendum threat 'headwind' for Scottish firms
The prospect of a second independence referendum will damage Scotland’s economic growth and create an additional “headwind” for companies, a respected economic think has warned.
Researchers at Strathclyde University's Fraser of Allander Institute predict the Scottish economy will continue to lag behind the UK,largely due to the downturn in the North Sea oil and gas industry.
In the three months to September 2016, the Scottish economy grew only by 0.2 per cent while the UK economy grew by 0.6 per cent. Over the previous year Scotland's GDP increased by just 0.7 per cent compared to a UK increase of 2.2 per cent.
Graeme Roy, the institute’s director, said it was now “incumbent” on the Scottish Government to provide additional support for companies north of the Border.
His warning came as Professor Anton Muscatelli, principal of the University of Glasgow, warned exiting the EU without a trade deal would have "stark, catastrophic and unavoidable" economic consequences.
Addressing an audience at the university's Bute Hall, he urged the UK Government to avoid a "cliff-edge" Brexit and a reversion to World Trade Organisation rules regardless of the political costs.
Nicola Sturgeon will be told to 'delay vote'
Nicola Sturgeon will be advised by one of her most senior colleagues to postpone a second independence referendum until she has overcome Scots’ opposition to it.
Alex Neil, a former Scottish Government Minister, is to tell Holyrood this afternoon that calling a rerun of the 2014 vote without strong public support for another poll would damage the Nationalists’ chances of victory.
Speaking ahead of the conclusion of a two-day Scottish Parliament debate on a second referendum, Mr Neil told the Telegraph said Ms Sturgeon has “to make sure people are with us” before committing to a timetable.
However, the former Health Minister will vote with Holyrood’s other SNP and Green MSPs to pass a motion on Wednesday evening giving Ms Sturgeon the authority to open discussions with the UK Government on getting the powers for another vote.
His warning echoes the Conservatives’ insistence that there should not be another referendum until there is “public consent”.
'Currency plans are laughable'
A former SNP frontbencher has described his party's currency plans for a separate Scotland as “not just lamentable, but laughable”.
The SNP have suggested adopting the Euro, the pound, or a new currency altogether.
Writing in today’s Herald, Kenny MacAskill said that criticism of the nationalists will “turn to scorn” unless they can come up with a proper plan.
Mr MacAskill said:
The fundamental issues that lost the first referendum and undermine the case for a second – the currency and the economy – remain.
Failure to address the currency issue is becoming not just lamentable, but laughable. Action needs taken before criticism turns to scorn.
'A year since Holyrood passed any legislation'
Today marks one year since the Scottish Parliament last passed a new law, the SNP have said.
Iain Gray, the Scottish Labour education spokesman, said:
It is a damning indictment of the SNP's obsession with separation that Holyrood hasn't passed any legislation for a year.
And the fact that this anniversary comes on the day the Scottish Parliament debates independence yet again tells you everything you need to know about the SNP government’s priorities.
The Scottish Parliament has major powers over tax, social security, education, health care, policing, local services and much more.
But instead of taking urgent action to close the gap between the richest and the rest in our classrooms, or tackling the growing NHS crisis, the Nationalists have focused all their energies on imposing another referendum on the people of Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon used to claim that education was her top priority, but she doesn't even bother pretending any more.
The will of the Scottish people was made clear in 2014 when more than 2million voters backed remaining in the UK.
The SNP should respect the will of the Scottish people and ditch their plan for another divisive referendum. Scottish Labour will never support independence.
MSPs to vote on second independence referendum
Good Afternoon,
The two-day Scottish Parliament debate on a second referendum will conclude at 5:30pm.
SNP and Green MSPs are expected to pass a motion this evening giving Nicola Sturgeon the authority to open discussions with the UK Government on getting the powers for another vote.
Ruth Davidson, the Tories Scottish leader, used her opening speech in the debate yesterday to warn Ms Sturgeon that voters are “sick to death” of her games on independenceand accuse her of trying to “bulldoze” them into another referendum.
The First Minister’s mandate for holding another vote was repeatedly questioned, with the Scottish Tory leader highlighting her pledges before the 2016 Holyrood election that she would not demand one without clear public support.
Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said Brexit was merely the latest in a long line of excuses for a second vote. Willie Rennie, her Liberal Democrat counterpart, said the Nationalists were not even willing to guarantee EU membership after independence.
Tonight's vote will trigger an official demand from Ms Sturgeon to the Prime Minister for talks over a Section 30 order, the legal mechanism used to transfer the powers to Holyrood for a referendum, preferably between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
