Robert Peffers.
2007-03-31 20:47:25 UTC
Major figures from Scotland's main political parties have taken part an
election debate for TV in Edinburgh.
Scottish Labour leader Jack McConnell faced SNP chief Alex Salmond, Lib Dem
leader Nicol Stephen and deputy Tory leader Murdo Fraser at the hustings.
The event was organised by Sky News and the Sunday Times.
Last month the SNP accused Mr McConnell of being scared to join a debate.
The Labour leader said he wanted to challenge Mr Salmond on independence.
Mr McConnell said devolution had "matured" over the past eight years.
He said the Scottish Executive coalition between Labour and the Liberal
Democrats had been the right way to bring stability to devolved government.
But he added that after the Scottish Parliament elections on 3 May it could
be the case that the largest party tries to govern without an overall
majority on a "policy by policy, bill by bill" basis.
The SNP leader clashed with Mr McConnell over his reasons for discounting
independence.
Mr Salmond said: "The arguments that Jack deploys are identical to the
arguments that the Tories used to deploy on devolution."
Mr McConnell responded by saying that devolution and independence could not
be compared.
He said that there was never a proposal under devolution for Scotland to
have "a separate currency, a separate Scottish membership of the European
Union and to break Scotland away from the rest of the United Kingdom".
The Labour and SNP leaders then started talking over each other, and the din
ended with Mr Salmond telling his adversary: "Your argument two minutes ago
was uncertainty.
He said: "The Tories used the same argument. They were beaten then and you
will be beaten now."
The debate also saw the Scottish Lib Dem leader spell out his party's stance
on an independence referendum.
"If there is a majority in the parliament after 3 May for parties in favour
of independence, of course they can proceed to the next step as they want to
deliver independence, and that's through a referendum," Mr Stephen said.
"But the Liberal Democrats don't believe in independence and we don't
support a referendum - and can you think of a single party or government
which promoted a referendum on an issue it doesn't support?"
He faced a taunt from the Tory deputy leader that Lib Dems were political
"prostitutes".
"They are the party who in the past tended to ditch every principle for a
sniff of power," Mr Fraser said.
"I just hope you are prepared to stick to your guns on this."
And so the game begins - soon we will see it end.
Independence for England --- Vote SNP.
election debate for TV in Edinburgh.
Scottish Labour leader Jack McConnell faced SNP chief Alex Salmond, Lib Dem
leader Nicol Stephen and deputy Tory leader Murdo Fraser at the hustings.
The event was organised by Sky News and the Sunday Times.
Last month the SNP accused Mr McConnell of being scared to join a debate.
The Labour leader said he wanted to challenge Mr Salmond on independence.
Mr McConnell said devolution had "matured" over the past eight years.
He said the Scottish Executive coalition between Labour and the Liberal
Democrats had been the right way to bring stability to devolved government.
But he added that after the Scottish Parliament elections on 3 May it could
be the case that the largest party tries to govern without an overall
majority on a "policy by policy, bill by bill" basis.
The SNP leader clashed with Mr McConnell over his reasons for discounting
independence.
Mr Salmond said: "The arguments that Jack deploys are identical to the
arguments that the Tories used to deploy on devolution."
Mr McConnell responded by saying that devolution and independence could not
be compared.
He said that there was never a proposal under devolution for Scotland to
have "a separate currency, a separate Scottish membership of the European
Union and to break Scotland away from the rest of the United Kingdom".
The Labour and SNP leaders then started talking over each other, and the din
ended with Mr Salmond telling his adversary: "Your argument two minutes ago
was uncertainty.
He said: "The Tories used the same argument. They were beaten then and you
will be beaten now."
The debate also saw the Scottish Lib Dem leader spell out his party's stance
on an independence referendum.
"If there is a majority in the parliament after 3 May for parties in favour
of independence, of course they can proceed to the next step as they want to
deliver independence, and that's through a referendum," Mr Stephen said.
"But the Liberal Democrats don't believe in independence and we don't
support a referendum - and can you think of a single party or government
which promoted a referendum on an issue it doesn't support?"
He faced a taunt from the Tory deputy leader that Lib Dems were political
"prostitutes".
"They are the party who in the past tended to ditch every principle for a
sniff of power," Mr Fraser said.
"I just hope you are prepared to stick to your guns on this."
And so the game begins - soon we will see it end.
Independence for England --- Vote SNP.
--
Robert Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).
Robert Peffers,
Kelty,
Fife,
Scotland, (UK).