John Swinney has been accused of having a ‘never-ending hissy fit’ over Scotland’s decision to vote against independence after forcing another debate on his demands for a referendum rerun.
The First Minister came under fire for leading a debate on Scotland’s ‘right to decide its own future’ despite failing to respect the outcome of the ‘once in a generation’ 2014 vote, when a decisive majority of 55 per cent of Scots backed remaining in the UK.
He was accused of ignoring people’s real priorities, on a day when experts warned the death rate for children in Scotland is higher than other parts of the UK amid concerns about the state of the NHS while homelessness soared to a record high level.
It was the second time since May’s Holyrood elections that the SNP have used Scottish Government debating time in Parliament to push the case for an independence referendum, despite falling short of the overall majority Mr Swinney claimed would be a mandate.
During the debate, Reform UK’s MSPs staged a walkout in protest, with its Scottish leader Lord Malcolm Offord saying the debate was a ‘stunt’ and a ‘gimmick’ ahead of the upcoming SNP conference.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: ‘The SNP say that Scotland should decide: we did decide. More than two million Scots said no, and thank goodness for that.
‘You can’t agree to a “once in a generation” referendum and then have a never-ending hissy fit over the result: get over it, move on.’
During Tuesday’s debate, Mr Swinney said that the right to decide Scotland’s future belongs to the people of Scotland, not any politician or party.
First Minister John Swinney was accused of ignoring people’s real priorities by leading a debate on Scottish independence
He even claimed that those opposing another referendum are being ‘divisive’ by ignoring the views of those who support independence.
Lord Offord led his Reform MSPs out of the chamber in protest at the debate after arguing that it was a ‘farce’.
He had earlier attempted to stop it taking place because the constitution is a reserved matter.
Lord Offord said: ‘This debate is not just a farce, it is an insult to the Scottish electorate who expect their politicians to deal with serious issues in their communities.’
He argued that Scots want to see MSPs dealing with ‘shocking’ homelessness figures released earlier on Tuesday, the nation’s public finances or drug deaths rather than ‘waste our time on vanity projects’.
After he withdrew his proposed amendment and exited the chamber along with all his MSPs, Lord Offord told journalists the debate was ‘a gimmick and a stunt ahead of SNP conference’ and was two-and-a-half hours of ‘wasted time’.
Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson later said that Reform had not raised any issues with proposed parliamentary business previously, and added: ‘I therefore consider this afternoon’s antics to be a gross discourtesy to all members of this chamber.’
During the debate, Mr Swinney said: ‘Just because a right has been exercised once does not mean it can never be exercised again.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay accused John Swinney of having a ‘never-ending hissy-fit’ over the referendum result in 2014
Reform MSPs, led by Lord Malcolm Offord, stormed out of the chamber in protest at the debate
‘If the people of Scotland themselves want the opportunity to ask the question again, who has the right to stop them?
‘Scotland is a nation and its people have the right to decide their future. The UK is a voluntary union, which means its nations can stay part of it or they can choose their independence.
‘These two things were once accepted right across the political spectrum in Scotland.’
He said he wanted to break the ‘logjam’ caused by the UK Government’s refusal to accept his independence demands.
He said: ‘We hear a lot in this debate about political division but what could be more divisive a proposition than saying to half the people of the country that there is no way, no matter how you vote or how often you do it, for you to make a change, for you to even be given the opportunity to make a change.’
In his first parliament intervention since becoming Scottish Labour leader, Michael Marra highlighted that child poverty targets are set to be missed ‘by a mile’ and said: ‘I think this parliament’s priority should be getting us back on track to recommit ourselves to that commitment and change the lives of children right across the country.
‘It is disappointing but not surprising that the SNP has a different priority.
‘That priority isn’t really independence, and frankly it isn’t even securing another referendum. This debate – annual debate I believe – is about managing the First Minister’s party, not leading this country.’
Mr Swinney’s motion was passed by 84 votes to 18 – despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham having recently made clear another referendum is ‘off limits’.
