FORMER SCOTTISH SECRETARY BACKS REFERENDUM

FORMER SCOTTISH SECRETARY BACKS REFERENDUM

TORY GRANDEE HITS OUT AT CALMAN

SNP MP and Shadow Scotland Office Spokesperson Angus MacNeil, has seized
on remarks by former Scottish Secretary Lord Forsyth who today (Sunday)
indicated his support for a referendum on independence and described the
financial proposals of the Calman Commission as “crazy”.

Commenting, Mr MacNeil said:

“The Tories’ insistence on denying the people of Scotland a say over their
own constitutional future is one of the reasons they are at a record low
in the polls. People are backing the SNP because the SNP trust the people
to make this important decision for themselves.

“Lord Forsyth must now call on his colleagues in the Scottish Parliament
to drop their illiberal and anti democratic opposition to an independence
referendum.”

On Lord Forsyth’s comments on Calman, Mr MacNeil added:

“The Tory peer is in good company with his assertion that Calman’s
financial proposals are “crazy”.

“The Calman Commission’s own experts have described these flawed tax
proposals as ‘worse than undesirable, they are unworkable’.

“The SNP Government is seeking full fiscal autonomy and with that full
responsibility for Scotland’s finances. Anything less risks being a messy
fudge which will damage the Scottish economy in the long term.”