I’ve been following with interest the story of Ms Alexander and her dramatic u-turn on an independence referendum over the last few days.

The leader of the Scottish group of Labour at Holyrood has seemingly gone out on a limb following her “bring it on” statementover the weekend when she challenged the SNP to bring forward their plans for a referendum.  Since then she’s gone even further suggesting she’ll bring forawrd her own Billif the SNP don’t.

This from a politician who, until Sunday, was vociferous in her opposition to any refrendum on the issue.  Now that she’s backing a referendum you have to wonder why the Calman Commission wasn’t instructed to consider independence along with the rest of the constitutional options.  Indeed if she feels that strongly about it, why hasn’t she backed the National Conversation, after-all what’s the point in a referendum if the people aren’t familiar with the debate on both sides of the argument?

Not unsurprisingly Ms Alexander has come in for widespread criticism not least of all from the Scottish Conservative Leader:

Scotland’s future should be the subject of a calm and considered debate, not knee-jerk panic by a Labour Party in political meltdown.  The Calman Commission should be left to get on with it’s health check on devolution.

The Liberal Democrats are quoted as saying:

This is a panic response from a Labour party in free-fall after last week’s English and Welsh elections.  Wendy Alexander does not support independence and politicians should not support a referendum which they do not back.  Voters in Scotland will not look kindly on politicians who put themselves and their party above the interests of the country.

Obviously the SNP are very pleased at Labour’s u-turn but have committed to sticking to their manifesto commitment of not holding a referendum until 2010, having allowed the people to have a calm and considered debate, which seems to be the Conservative preference also.

And those backing Alexander?  Well apparently she has the backing of the Cabinet at Westminster, although significantly Gordon Brown is keeping quiet on the the matter.  Alexander’s detractors certainly seem to be more numerous than her backers and as if to confirm this she has been royally savaged by virtually all corners of the media.

Much of the criticism concentrates on Alexander’s motivations for her move, namely that her interests have more to do with her own poor poll ratings (and those of her party) rather than any real interest in what’s in the best interests of the country.

Alexander is pushing for a quick plebiscite allegedly to diminish the ‘uncertainty’ which she claims is damaging the country.  Of course she should be aware that what really damages countries is poor governance, after all she’s been part of the Labour party which maltreated Scotland, and the UK generally, for the 10 years before the SNP took office at Holyrood last year.

No, I believe that Ms Alexander wants a snap poll so that the complex issues cannot be fully debated.  Once the debate has begun I’m confident that the arguments for the Union will show themselves to be as weak and irrelevant as they are, or even non-existent.  I still haven’t heard a single reasoned argument as to why the Union should be maintained, meanwhile those for full independence are wide-ranging and compelling.

Regardless of how people vote in the, now certain, referendum it is important that those casting their votes are informed and are able to make an informed decision based on facts rather than hyperbole.

One of the most significant things which Ms Alexander has stated is that she wishes any referendum to be based on a two option question … essentially this must take the form of a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the question of independence, of course, how any question will be worded will also be highly important.  I suspect that the vote for independence is most likely to succeed on the two option ballot, and regardless of the outcome it’s certainly the only way that a ballot can have any credence.

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UPDATE
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It now seems unlikely that Alexander could introduce her own Bill as she would need the support of at least one SNP and one Conservative MSP.  Also parliamentary rules also forbid Bill’s being introduced where the ruling party is planning to introduce legislation on the same issue before the end of the current term.

 

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