OPPOSITION PARTIES VOTE TO BLOCK THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF SCOTLAND.

OPPOSITION PARTIES VOTE TO BLOCK THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF SCOTLAND.

ALSO BLOCKING THE WILL OF THEIR OWN LOCAL VOTERS.

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson today criticised opposition parties for blocking the right of the people of Scotland to decide their own constitutional future in a referendum on independence.

Mr Gibson highlighted recent polls showing that a majority of people in Scotland, along with a majority of voters in all parties want a referendum on independence.

The last poll to ask people whether they wanted a referendum on independence or not showed support for a referendum across all party supporters.

			By party preference
	All		Con	Lab	LibDem	SNP
For a referendum	72%		63%	59%	63%	96%
Against a referendum	28%		37%	41%	37%	4%

Commenting Mr Gibson said:

“This vote by opposition parties was short term opportunism for no long term political gain .

"Opposition for the sake of opposition is never successful. Lib Dem activists are already uneasy about Tavish selling the party to the Calman Commission for no gain. Labour activists supported Wendy Alexander in backing a referendum and the Tories are simply running scared.

“The opposition have just set themselves up against the people of Scotland. By denying the people of Scotland a free and democratic vote on their future they are saying they don’t trust the judgement of the people.

“That is an astonishing position for any party to take. It is the high minded politics of ‘we-know-best’. What sort of position is that for any political party?

“Along with all three parties’ policies to impose cuts running into the hundreds of millions the SNP will also be reminding the people of Scotland that no other party trust s them to make their own decision on Scotland’s future.”