Labour voters: Help wanted
We're a bit confused today, and the only people who can assist us are Labour supporters. In the interests of frank and informed debate over the coming year, we've been trying to work out exactly where Labour stands on the independence referendum. So far as we can tell, Labour's position over the last five years has been as follows:
4th May 2007 to 3rd May 2008:
There should be no referendum.
4th May 2008 to 6th May 2008:
We should have a referendum immediately.
7th May 2008:
There should definitely be no referendum now – we must wait for the Calman Commission to deliver its report on devolution in a year's time.
8th May 2008 to 14th May 2008:
We must have a referendum immediately, in order to end uncertainty.
13th May 2008 to 30th August 2009:
There should definitely be no referendum.
31st August 2009 to 30th April 2011:
There can be a referendum, but definitely not now, and not until the economy has recovered and is in sustained and steady growth.
1st May 2011 to 6th May 2011:
Definitely no referendum, not even if it's held very early in the new Parliament to end uncertainty and help the economy recover*.
7th May 2011 to present day (we think):
There must be an early referendum, even though the economy is stagnant and heading back into recession.
Labour types: are we up to speed now, or did something happen this afternoon?
* BBC leaders' debate, Perth City Hall, 1st May 2011
Iain Gray: "I just believe that to spend the next five years distracted by a plan for independence and a referendum, so that by that time we would have spent nine years talking about the referendum, will simply put the recovery at risk."
Glenn Campbell: "Is that not a reason, as your predecessor Wendy Alexander said, to 'bring it on'?"
[audience laughter]
Iain Gray: "Her argument was very straightforward. Her argument was do this, do it quickly, get it out the way, because the uncertainty damages Scotland and our economy. Alex Salmond would not do it, now he tells us he's going to put it off for most of the next five years as well, and that will create uncertainty which will damage our recovery, it will cost us jobs, and it'll damage the interests of the people of Scotland."
Glenn Campbell: "But if he goes early?"
Iain Gray: "No. Because there has been since then a credit crunch, a banking crisis and a global recession. Our recovery from that recession is fragile. We need to be serious about jobs and not distracted by this."
