SNP rejects using next election as ‘de facto’ referendum on independence

Published

1 year ago

October 15, 2023

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The SNP will not use the next general election as a de facto independence referendum, in a shift away from the strategy employed by Nicola Sturgeon.

Instead, the party has used its annual conference in Aberdeen to state that, should it win a majority of Scottish seats at the general election expected next year, it should begin negotiations with Westminster on how it can go about securing Scotland’s independence.

This was described by one SNP MP as seeking the mandate to secure independence, rather than a vote for independence itself.

Some MPs supported the approach previously championed by former leader Ms Sturgeon – in which securing 50% plus one of the vote in Scotland should be treated as the Scottish people declaring themselves independent.

Humza Yousaf, the SNP’s current leader and the first minister of Scotland, backed the switch away from his predecessor’s position.

He said using the next general election as a de facto referendum for independence is the “wrong approach” to take.

It is the first conference since Ms Sturgeon’s attempt to hold a referendum was defeated in the courts, her subsequent resignation, arrest and release, and the investigation into the party’s finances.

SNP MP Tommy Sheppard, who proposed one of the amendments which turned the party’s strategy away from a referendum, told the conference that 10% of those who support independence do not back the SNP for the next election – but also do not support other pro-independence parties.

“The truth of this is that there is 10% or more of the Scottish electorate who want Scotland to be an independent country, but it is not the main thing on their mind right now,” Mr Sheppard said.

He says the lack of support for other independence-backing outfits – like Alex Salmond’s Alba Party – shows voters are not going to support a party based on immediate independence.

Joanna Cherry, another MP, said that she backed not using the 2024 vote as a de facto referendum, but said the option should be kept open – including at the 2026 Scottish parliament election.

One MP who wanted to use the next general election as a referendum was the MP Pete Wishart.

He said the party needed a “credible and realistic route” to independence to be presented to the country in order to leave the United Kingdom.

“It’s time to stop asking and time to start asserting,” he added.

Mr Wishart said that every election should be treated as a de-facto referendum “and we keep on doing it – until they properly engage, or we win, which we will most definitely do”.

The conference itself has been overshadowed by the war in the Middle East – including the fact that the parents of SNP councillor Nadia El Nakla, who is also Mr Yousaf’s wife, are trapped in Gaza.

The event started with an emergency motion, which called for the condemnation of the “terrorist attacks” of Hamas and the release of all hostages.

It says “international law must be respected”, and reaffirms the party’s support for a two-state solution.

The party unanimously supported the motion.

Politics

Wolf Capital co-founder pleads guilty to $9.4M Ponzi, promised 547% returns

Published

4 hours ago

January 11, 2025

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Wolf Capital co-founder pleads guilty to .4M Ponzi, promised 547% returns

According to the US Department of Justice, Wolf Capital’s co-founder has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for luring 2,800 crypto investors into a Ponzi scheme.

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Rachel Reeves lands in China amid pressure to cancel trip over market turmoil

Published

5 hours ago

January 11, 2025

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Rachel Reeves lands in China amid pressure to cancel trip over market turmoil

Making Britain better off will be “at the forefront of the chancellor’s mind” during her visit to China, the Treasury has said amid controversy over the trip.

Rachel Reeves flew out on Friday after ignoring calls from opposition parties to cancel the long-planned venture because of market turmoil at home.

The past week has seen a drop in the pound and an increase in government borrowing costs, which has fuelled speculation of more spending cuts or tax rises.

The Tories have accused the chancellor of having “fled to China” rather than explain how she will fix the UK’s flatlining economy, while the Liberal Democrats say she should stay in Britain and announce a “plan B” to address market volatility.

However, Ms Reeves has rejected calls to cancel the visit, writing in The Times on Friday night that choosing not to engage with China is “no choice at all”.

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The chancellor will be accompanied by Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey and other senior executives.

She will meet with her counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, in Beijing on Saturday to discuss financial services, trade and investment.

She will also “raise difficult issues”, including Chinese firms supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concerns over constraints on rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, the Treasury said.

But it did not mention whether Ms Reeves would raise the treatment of the Uyghur community, which Downing Street said Foreign Secretary David Lammy would do during his visit last year.

On Friday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy defended the trip, telling Sky News that the climbing cost of government borrowing was a “global trend” that had affected many countries, “most notably the United States”.

“We are still on track to be the fastest growing economy, according to the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] in Europe,” she told Anna Jones on Sky News Breakfast.

“China is the second-largest economy, and what China does has the biggest impact on people from Stockton to Sunderland, right across the UK, and it’s absolutely essential that we have a relationship with them.”

Read more – Ed Conway analysis: The chancellor’s gamble with China

However, former prime minister Boris Johnson said Ms Reeves had “been rumbled” and said she should “make her way to HR and collect her P45 – or stay in China”.

While in the country’s capital, Ms Reeves will also visit British bike brand Brompton’s flagship store, which relies heavily on exports to China, before heading to Shanghai for talks with representatives across British and Chinese businesses.

It is the first UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) since 2019, building on the Labour government’s plan for a “pragmatic” policy with the world’s second-largest economy.

Sir Keir Starmer was the first British prime minister to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping in six years at the G20 summit in Brazil last autumn.

Relations between the UK and China have become strained over the last decade as the Conservative government spoke out against human rights abuses and concerns grew over national security risks.

Navigating this has proved tricky given China is the UK’s fourth largest single trading partner, with a trade relationship worth almost £113bn and exports to China supporting over 455,000 jobs in the UK in 2020, according to the government.

During the Tories’ 14 years in office, the approach varied dramatically from the “golden era” under David Cameron to hawkish aggression under Liz Truss, while Rishi Sunak vowed to be “robust” but resisted pressure from his own party to brand China a threat.

The Treasury said a stable relationship with China would support economic growth and that “making working people across Britain secure and better off is at the forefront of the chancellor’s mind”.

Ahead of her visit, Ms Reeves said: “By finding common ground on trade and investment, while being candid about our differences and upholding national security as the first duty of this government, we can build a long-term economic relationship with China that works in the national interest.”