Leading SNP economic thinker says Tories want to resist independence referendum due to fears Theresa May will be forced to resign in defeat
SNP MP GEORGE KEREVAN has said that a mobilisation of Scottish “popular pressure” can force a reluctant UK Government to concede the demand of an independence referendum to Scotland.
Speaking to socialist writer and activists Tariq Ali on the Venezuelan Telesur network, Kerevan, a former economics lecturer and SNP member of the Treasury select committee, said that the political weakness of the UK Government meant it would be susceptible to pressure from a “popular” front including trade unions and churches.
He said: “Theresa May and the Tories have a very narrow majority at Westminster they are deeply split over Brexit.
“I think there’s still space to put popular pressure on the Westminster Government to force them to accept a Scottish referendum.
“So we are not starting with the premise they are going to deny it.
“We keep the political pressure, we mobilise people, we mobilise all sections of Scottish society, the trades unions the churches, to demand this.
“So I still think we will get it.”
Kerevan said he believed the Conservatives, who have repeatedly said “now is not the time” for another referendum, were attempting to push an independence vote back until after Brexit. He added the Tories “will oppose tooth and nail another referendum” to avoid fighting on “two fronts”.
Kerevan said failure to win a referendum on Scottish independence would force UK Prime Minister Theresa May to stand down – resulting in a catastrophic failure for the UK Tory party.
“May knows, what she is really afraid of, if there is a Scottish referendum and she loses it, on Scottish independence, she would have to resign.
“To do that right in the middle of the Brexit negotiations would be a disaster for the Tory party, so they are really putting their backs to stopping Scotland having a democratic say.”
Kerevan re-iterated the position of the Scottish Government, that Scotland should have a right to hold an independence referendum between the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019, when the UK’s final deal with the EU would be known, but the UK would still be a member of the EU. This was the measure voted for by the Scottish Parliament in March.
In the wide ranging interview Kerevan said he doubted the Euro currency would continue in its current form and that Spain should enter into an agreement on a referendum on Catalonian independence.
Picture courtesy of Youtube/Telesur
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