Entries for June 2014

On 16 June the Scottish Government unveiled its Scottish Independence Bill in an address by Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister of Scotland, to the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law.

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In her speech at Edinburgh University launching the draft Scottish Independence Bill, Nicola Sturgeon claimed that ‘the prospect of a Constitutional Convention and a written constitution are, in themselves, positive reasons for voting Yes.’  Many intending Yes voters will agree with that statement, viewing independence not only as a way of addressing Scotland’s perceived democratic deficit, but also as an opportunity for democratic renewal.

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"In Scotland, the people are sovereign". This is the foundation of the interim constitution that has been published in a draft bill by the Scottish government. In the event of a yes vote, this would provide the basis for the Scottish state during the first years of independence, pending the adoption of a permanent constitution some time after 2016.

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Last Friday, I took part in a Scottish Constitutional Futures Forum event at Edinburgh University, entitled 100 Days to Go: Four Nations and a Union.  The aim was to explore the impact of the independence referendum from the perspective of the United Kingdom and each of its constituent nations.  The question I sought to answer was ‘has the UK had a good referendum?’

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