Watchdog tests referendum question

Nov 9 2012

The question the Scottish Government wants to ask voters in the independence referendum has been submitted to the elections watchdog for scrutiny.

The Electoral Commission will assess the Government's preferred choice of wording for the key vote.

The SNP administration wants to ask people "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?" in the 2014 referendum. Those campaigning for independence insist it is a "straightforward and fair" question, but the man leading the campaign to keep Scotland in the UK claimed it is "rigged".

Alistair Darling, chairman of Better Together, said: "This question is skewed to get the answer that they want. This is another attempt to rig the question."

But Blair Jenkins, chief executive of the pro-independence Yes Scotland campaign, said: "The question 'Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?' is straightforward and fair.

"Provided the Electoral Commission approves the proposed question, the people of Scotland can now start to focus fully on the benefits of independence and how making our decisions under our own terms will allow us to build the kind of country that matches our values, aspirations and priorities."

The final wording of the question will be in the Referendum Bill which will come before Holyrood next spring. Although the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament are not bound by the Electoral Commission's advice, constitutional experts have said it would be unusual for the watchdog to be ignored.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who submitted the proposed question to the commission, said: "The independence referendum will meet the highest international standards.

"The Electoral Commission has considerable expertise in regulating referendums and elections and I have now written to them to formally request that they provide advice and assistance to the Scottish Government by considering the wording of the question that is proposed to be on the ballot paper for the Scottish independence referendum: Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?"

Almost two-thirds of those who responded to the Scottish Government's referendum consultation "broadly agreed" with the wording, she said.