Scottish deputy accuses Cameron over poll

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish people had “overwhelmingly” voted the SNP into power in Holyrood last year, returning the nationalist party with a majority.

And she said there was “clarity” there about the SNP commitment to hold the referendum in the second half of the Parliament.

Reports suggest the Government in Westminster is considering offering the Scottish Parliament the chance to hold a legally binding referendum but only on the basis of a simple yes or no question and if it is held within a certain timeframe, thought to be 18 months.

The Prime Minister has said he would publish legal advice in the coming days which would offer a “fair, legal and decisive” solution.

But Ms Sturgeon said yesterday: “This is a blatant attempt to interfere in the decision that is really one for the Scottish Government in terms of the timing of the referendum and for the Scottish people in terms of the outcome.

“We were elected on the basis of our commitment to have a referendum in the second half of this parliamentary term.

“This is about Westminster seeking to interfere.

“We said very clearly in the election that our immediate priority if elected would be to seek to strengthen the Scotland Bill, currently going through the Westminster Parliament, to give the Scottish Parliament important economic job-creating powers, a referendum on independence in the second half of this parliamentary term.”

Ms Sturgeon said most people in Scotland listening to Mr Cameron would only hear a London-based, Tory-led Government trying to intervene.

And she said that, while the SNP would prefer a simple yes or no question, there was a “significant body of opinion” behind a third option for financial independence for Scotland within the United Kingdom.