Ian Murray, Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South, has today urged local SNP MSPs Jim Eadie, Kenny MacAskill and Gordon MacDonald to clarify their position on the independence referendum.
The decision on whether or not Scotland remains in the UK is due to take place in 2014, and plans for it will be finalised in the coming months.

•

With recent polls showing support for independence down sharply, some nationalists have suggested having a fall-back second or third option on the ballot paper, while prominent Nationalists such as Margo MacDonald and chair of the independence campaign Blair Jenkins have publicly stated their desire to have a single question. This has been echoed by SNP MPs at Westminster and the Cabinet Secretary for Health in the Scottish Parliament, who is also SNP Deputy Leader, who want one question and one question only.

•

Now Ian Murray has challenged Jim Eadie MSP, Kenny MacAskill MSP and Gordon MacDonald MSP to publicly state their view and let local people know what suggestion they made in the Scottish Government’s consultation on the referendum with regards to this issue.

•

Ian Murray MP said: “This is an issue that will affect every single person in Edinburgh forever. We need a clear, single question so the people of Scotland can make their decision once and for all.”

•

“The nationalist campaign has already been in disarray over the currency question, membership of the EU and NATO, the position of broadcasting and the viability of the Royal Mail, and we now see that they can’t even agree about what question they want on the ballot paper.

•

Everybody knows that Alex Salmond wants a second question, because he realises that he can’t win the first. It’s time for Edinburgh SNP constituency MSPs to come clean and state whether they support a clear single question, or whether they’ll back Salmond’s desire for a second question that experts say will simply muddy the waters. •The development of devolution is very important and that is why the Scottish and UK Parliaments passed the Scotland Bill. •Where devolution goes next is an important but separate debate which should be considered fully, and not just used as a smokescreen by Alex Salmond to hide the lack of support for separation from the UK.

•

That’s why I’ve written to Jim Eadie, Kenny MacAskill, and Gordon MacDonald, asking them to publicly state their position. As a local MP, I have made clear I want a single question, and it’s time the SNP did the same. The people of Scotland deserve to know the facts.”

•

•