While UK Labour’s leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, recently sacked their Glasgow Kelvin Labour candidate for voicing support for Scotland’s right to hold a referendum on independence if the SNP secures a majority next month, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has voted in favour of holding a Scottish independence referendum with or without the UK Government’s consent.
The motion added that if a majority of pro-independence MSPs are elected on May 06, “it would be profoundly anti-democratic for the Westminster Parliament to deny a second referendum.”
At the 124th annual STUC congress, delegates from more than 50 unions and trades union councils met to discuss and vote on policies.
The motion included that recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is the absolute priority – something SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon has made clear before.
The STUC Congress furthermore voted to reject tactical manoeuvring for an independence supermajority, saying this would “undermine the sovereignty of the Scottish people who remain broadly divided on the question of independence”.
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer commented:
“Our vote today has re-affirmed the right of the Scottish people to self-determination and recognised that as the central democratic institution in Scotland, our parliament should have the power to determine whether and when to hold a second referendum.”
Kenneth Gibson added:
“I welcome this decision. While there is a wide divergence in views amongst trade union members as to what a referendum should look like and whether Scotland should indeed become independent, they have the maturity and fairness to agree that if the people of Scotland elect another pro-independence majority, there should be an independence referendum.
“This also illustrates how out of touch Labour’s leadership is, with the 60% of Labour supporters are pro-referendum, and with trade union members. Labour’s main concern is representing the views of UK Leader Keir Starmer, not those of Scotland’s electorate. That’s why Labour finds itself campaigning to keep Scotland’s future in Tory hands.
“The SNP knows that Scotland’s future is Scotland’s choice – not Boris Johnson’s and not Keir Starmer’s – so even if you normally vote Labour, now is the time to vote SNP.”
#BothVotesSNP by 06 May
ENDS
