Labour’s Referendum stance – More and more confusing
13/05/2008
One week ago (May 6th 2008), Duncan McNeil MSP, Convener of the Labour Party Group at Holyrood, said:
“We are now in a position where, as a group, we will not vote down any Referendum Bill that comes before this Parliament.”
On Sunday (May 11th 2008), Wendy Alexander said on the BBC’s Politics Show that her party “will not vote down” a Referendum Bill.
Today’s Times reports: “….Miss Alexander’s spokesman reiterated that Labour support for the SNP did not amounted [sic] to a blank cheque. He added: ‘The principle is that Scottish people deserve the choice and deserve it now’. Asked about the Labour group’s support for a referendum last week, he then said: ‘Duncan McNeil (the Labour Group Convenor) was talking about an early referendum. He was not referring to an SNP Bill.”
Commenting, David McLetchie MSP, Scottish Conservative Chief Whip, said:
“Incredibly, ten days after Wendy Alexander set the ball rolling by hollering ‘bring it on’, the situation is as muddled and chaotic as ever. Wendy is saying one thing. Duncan McNeil is quite obviously saying another. Gordon Brown doesn’t want to know. And Des Browne doesn’t seem to care.
“What an absolute mess. Few people will be sorry to see the Labour Party ripping itself to shreds but the more serious point is that Labour is endangering the future of the Union by its chronic incompetence.
“This uncertainty must end. Wendy Alexander, or Duncan McNeil, or indeed anybody who can avoid U-turning for more than five minutes, must set out a clear, coherent position now.”