THE SNP’s depute leader has said he wants a fresh vote on Scottish independence “as soon as possible”, adding he is “very confident” the public will vote to leave the UK.
Keith Brown pointed out that Holyrood now has a “higher number of MSPs who support both a referendum and independence than at any point in history”.
The May election saw 73 SNP and Green MSPs returned and the SNP has now pledged to spend £100,000 over the new few months on a “hearts and minds” campaign to boost support for the cause.
The issue will also be centre stage at Holyrood again as MSPs debate a motion on Tuesday from First Minister John Swinney which states “Scotland is a nation that has a right to decide its own future”.
The motion is set to be passed with the support of Green MSPs, despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham stating another referendum is “off limits”.
The Prime Minister had to pull back from comments he made in Parliament, which appeared to suggest a second ballot on independence could be possible if Scots support one.
Brown said the “obstinacy” of the pro-UK parties is because “they know we will win it”.
He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme: “I’m very confident we will win a referendum.
“I think that is one of the reasons you are seeing the obstinacy from some of the unionist parties, why they don’t want to have it. They know we will win it.
“So yes, I would have a referendum as soon as possible.”
Asked if there is support for another referendum, Brown noted the Holyrood election had returned a record number of MSPs who support independence.
He insisted: “We have stood on that platform, both for a referendum and for independence, and we have won that election out of the park, especially if you consider both the Green vote and the SNP vote.
“Of course we have the backing of the people of Scotland.
“But the one way to decide it and for the opposition parties to continue to say this is a distraction, we don’t want to discuss it, they’ve got the remedy in their own hands – we have the referendum and then it is dealt with. That is the way to proceed.”
New Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra has made clear he does not support another vote.
Marra, who was elected to the post on Saturday, insists he is “against another referendum”.
He said: “The Labour Party’s position long-term has been that we don’t think another referendum is required, that certainly remains the case.”
He argued that another vote is “not the priority of the people of Scotland”, saying instead that Scots want action on the cost-of-living crisis, and are also “concerned about the state of our NHS, the state of our schools”.
The Labour MSP demanded: “I want to see the Scottish Government focus on those issues first and foremost.”
Despite this, Marra did come out in support of "Scotland’s right to decide its own future".
Speaking to STV, he said: “I believe that the people of Scotland have the right to decide their future, and they did so in 2014.”
