THE Constitution Secretary has argued that the future of the monarchy in Scotland isn’t a “huge question” as he set out the SNP’s position on the institution.
It came amid commentary over Scotland’s relationship with the royals in the wake of the Queen’s death age 96.
For decades, the party has been in favour of maintaining the monarchy after independence – with that position being made clear in its 2014 white paper.
That document argued that an independent Scotland would be a “constitutional monarchy, continuing the Union of the Crowns that dates back to 1603, pre-dating the Union of the Parliaments by over 100 years”.
In contrast, the Scottish Greens – with whom the SNP govern as part of a co-operation agreement – have described the monarchy as an “outdated” and “discredited” system which would hold back the nation after it leaves the Union.
And the general secretary of Alex Salmond’s Alba Party has called for Scotland to move to an elected head of state, saying there is “no place” for King Charles in an independent Scotland.
Speaking to Channel 4 after a session of condolences to the King and Queen Consort in Holyrood, the Scottish Government’s Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson insisted that plans are still to keep the monarchy.
“[King Charles] has had the longest apprenticeship on record, having been Prince of Wales, Duke of Rothesay and all that,” he told the broadcaster.
“He has come to Scotland his entire life, he was schooled in Scotland and so he knows Scotland very well. And he has a close connection not just with the country but with the people, that’s what he said in the parliamentary chamber, that’s what I was listening to him say.
“And I think that means a lot to him as it did to his mother and I think that relationship with the people is something that will endure.
“Indeed as he is of Canada and Australia and New Zealand and elsewhere in the Commonwealth. So I don’t think that’s a huge question. Obviously the constitutional future of Scotland is, but I mean just going back …"
He went on: “What we’re talking about is moving power from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament and not changing our head of state. But you know these are things that are going to be discussed in time. We’re going to have a referendum, we’re going to make up our minds about all of this. Today is a day when people in Scotland are saying goodbye to Queen Elizabeth.
“We have different traditions and different histories here. And we’ve been able to see that and people have been able to experience that and I think that is a thoroughly good thing given the connection that Queen Elizabeth had to Scotland.”
On Monday, deputy first minister John Swinney told BBC Radio 4 that the SNP would continue to argue in favour of keeping the monarchy.
“It's what we argued in the referendum in 2014, and it's what we will continue to argue,” he said.
According to polling released this year by the British Future think tank, fewer than half of Scots support keeping the monarchy.
Just 45% said they wanted to keep the institution and more than a third (33%) felt the end of the Queen’s resign would mark the right time to become a republic.
