Alex Salmond has unveiled a new plan to secure Scottish independence, proposing a referendum to consult people on whether Holyrood’s powers should be extended to allow a break-up of the UK.
The former First Minister, who now leads the pro-independence Alba Party, announced the proposal at a press conference in Edinburgh on Thursday alongside Ash Regan, who defected from the SNP.
Their plan is for the people of Scotland to be asked in a referendum whether the powers of the Scottish Parliament should be extended “to include the power to legislate for and negotiate independence”.
The proposal would be put forward through a Bill at Holyrood lodged by Ms Regan. They suggest that their referendum could be held exactly 10 years after 2014’s vote on whether Scotland should leave the UK.
The plan is intended to break the logjam created by last year’s Supreme Court ruling, which confirmed that Holyrood does not have the power to hold indyref2 without Westminster’s permission.
Mr Salmond’s party believes that the proposed new referendum would be within Holyrood’s powers, but it is highly likely that Ms Regan’s Bill would still be challenged by the UK Government if it passed.
There is also no gurantee that the SNP-Green government in power at Holyrood would vote for the plan, meaning it would not have enough support to even reach the stage of a legal challenge.
Mr Salmond said: “This proposal can propel the independence movement forward and free it of its current inertia.
“If you want to end a London veto over Scottish sovereignty then you have to make it clear that you are not prepared to take no for an answer.
“The way to assert the sovereignty of the Scottish people is to ask the people the question on whether their own parliament should have the powers to determine our future.”
Ms Regan added: “Last year’s ill-fated expedition to the Supreme Court has halted the opportunity to propose an independence referendum in the Scottish Parliament.
“However, there is nothing to stop our Parliament proposing a referendum which we believe would be within competence, and that is to ask the people whether they believe the powers of the Parliament should be extended to include the right to legislate for and negotiate independence.
“That is what my proposed new draft Bill does and I intend to canvass public and parliamentary support for it now. It is time for the independence movement to offer our supporters the real prospect of progress.”
An SNP spokesperson said later that it would consider the proposed Bill if it came forward, but stressed: “There are no shortcuts to independence.
“That’s why the SNP is focused on winning the argument and building the case amongst the people of Scotland, and support for independence continues to be around 50 per cent or higher.”
However, a party source told i that “the reception to Salmond’s latest wizard wheeze wouldn’t even register on his MSP’s readiness thermometer,” a reference to a much-mocked suggestion by Ms Regan during the SNP leadership contest.