Hunter: Lets vote on independence

SCOTS should be allowed an immediate independence referendum, the nation's richest man declares in an exclusive article with Scotland on Sunday today.

Billionaire tycoon and philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter says a vote is needed to avoid constitutional dithering and let Scotland move on, either as an independent country or as part of the UK.

Hunter also issues a stinging attack on all the political parties in Scotland – both Nationalist and Unionist – accusing them of "posturing, positioning and pontificating" in their attempts to reform the constitution.

Hunter's dramatic entry into the row over the constitution comes after Labour, the Liberals and Tories last week unveiled their plan to back an independent commission to look at boosting Holyrood's power while stopping short of independence.

First Minister Alex Salmond last week unveiled the next stage of his "National Conversation" on independence, before publishing a Referendum Bill at the Scottish Parliament, probably in 2010.

Hunter says the separate approaches have confused the public and the matter should be resolved immediately and simply.

He writes: "The problem is there isn't an informed debate and there is a hell of a lot of confusion… You and I would be entitled to be both confused, disillusioned and frankly fed up with the posturing, positioning and pontification that is informing, or ill-informing, this debate."

He adds: "It is my firm belief that the Scottish people deserve the right to vote unequivocally on one key issue. Other issues follow, but there is only one vote: do you want Scotland to be independent or not? Yes or no?

"We need a majority of Scots to say 'yes' or 'no' to independence, end of story… a referendum is compelling because we Scots want an answer to our future now so that we can invest in it, whatever we choose, for our collective future over the long term."

Declining to back either option, Hunter concludes: "This decision is beyond politics – it is our right as a nation to determine our destiny, not for politicians to determine it for us. Hence it is my firm belief that the answer to this issue is relatively simply: let the people of Scotland decide."

Hunter goes on to attack the suggestion by Salmond last week that a referendum might be held under the Single Transferable Vote system, under which voters mark down their preferences, rather than voting for or against. He describes such a system as "Simon Cowell's X Factor voting system".

"You simply cannot utilise an STV system to determine Scotland's fundamental future," says Hunter.

But he also has harsh words for Labour, Tory and Lib Dem leaders who have refused to countenance a referendum so far. "Democracy, and that's what that is, is not something any politician should be afraid of. Otherwise, they should not be in politics at all," he says.

Despite his criticism of the STV system, Hunter's comments were met with delight by the SNP.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "I welcome Sir Tom's intervention. Opinion is coming down between those who believe in the right of the people to determine Scotland's future – a position carrying 80% support – and those who don't.

"The National Conversation is galvanising debate, with a positive and enthusiastic response across Scotland. The SNP's first choice is to have a for or against referendum on independence, and 2010 is the right sort of timescale."

Salmond said his Government had signalled it was willing to include the option of enhanced devolution on a ballot paper, if the London-based parties could agree on such a specific scheme.

He said: "Labour will struggle to explain their opposition to allowing the people to choose their own future, even one that includes their preferred option. In 1992, it was Gordon Brown himself who demanded that all organisations support a 'persistent, determined and concerted' campaign to force the then Tory government to accept a multi-option referendum on Scotland's future."

However, the Unionist parties said they would not be changing their mind on a referendum.

A spokesman for Wendy Alexander said: "Sir Tom is entitled to his opinion. It doesn't appear most people in Scotland want one, with recent polls showing less than a quarter support independence. A clear majority at Holyrood believe that after 10 years, it is only right to look again at the devolution settlemen."

He added: "If Alex Salmond had the nerve to call a straightforward referendum, undoubtedly he'd lose, but a few years down the line he'd be calling for another one."

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: "We know from Quebec that unfortunately a referendum wouldn't be the end of it. The Nationalists would want to have a neverendum. Furthermore, a referendum could only take place if there were a majority of MSPs who supported it at the Scottish Parliament. That majority doesn't exist."

A Lib Dem spokesman added: "If the SNP believed their own spin, they could call a referendum on independence immediately.

"It is the job of the supporters of independence to make the case for a referendum. Our task is to build a cross-party consensus to strengthen the Scottish Parliament."

Labour sources claimed last night that the question of whether to back a referendum in order to "spike the nationalists' guns" had been discussed at "the highest levels" of the party.

It is understood that one reason why the strategy has been ditched is because it would be impossible to back a referendum in Scotland while Downing Street was denying the rest of the UK a referendum on the European treaty.