MSPS have been urged to “unite behind Scotland’s right to decide” ahead of a vote to hold a second independence referendum.
First Minister John Swinney is set to ask the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday to formally request the transfer of powers from the UK Government to Scotland to allow a referendum on independence to be held.
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said the request has come as the Scottish Parliament now consists of the “highest number of pro-independence MSPs ever elected” after the Holyrood election at the beginning of the month.
She said: “This SNP Government is hitting the ground running to deliver what we promised to the people of Scotland.
“In the first Parliamentary week since our re-election, we will bring forward plans to support people with the cost of living, by expanding support for childcare, providing up to £10,000 in support for first-time buyers and ensuring that we can bring down bills by putting Scotland’s energy in Scotland’s hands.
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“And on Tuesday, the First Minister will bring forward a landmark vote, asking Parliament to support Scotland’s right to hold a referendum on the fresh start of independence – just as he promised he would.
“With the highest number of pro-independence MSPs ever elected, the mandate for a referendum could not be clearer – and it is democratically unsustainable for Westminster to refuse to listen to the verdict of the people of Scotland.”
MSPs will vote on a motion on Tuesday that requests that the Parliament welcomes the “emphatic democratic mandate for bold and ambitious reform backed by the people of Scotland at the Scottish General Election.”
It continues with a call on the UK Government to make a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998 to devolve the powers to the Scottish Parliament to hold a referendum on Scottish independence.
Gilruth continued: “That basic democratic fact is already being accepted by senior figures within the Labour Party – and on Tuesday, they can clearly signal a break from their failed approach which has led them to electoral disaster time and time again, by saying that they support Scotland’s right to decide.
“This is a Scottish Government working for Scotland – and when people see how quickly John Swinney is acting to deliver what he promised during the election, the contrast with a dismal, chaotic Westminster government in a state of permanent crisis could not be clearer.
“We have an SNP Government focused on the people of Scotland’s priorities – and a Westminster government that is only ever focused on itself. That is why more and more people are coming to the conclusion that we should take all decisions here in Scotland – and be done with the failed Westminster system for good with the fresh start of independence.
“The first step to securing that fresh start will take place on Tuesday – and I am urging Parliament to unite behind Scotland’s right to decide a better future.”
