Call for third option at Scottish independence referendum dismissed by former Yes campaign chief
dailyrecord.co.ukCalls for voters to be offered a third option at a future referendum on Scottish independence have been dismissed as a "pig in a poke" by a former Yes campaign chief.Dennis Canavan said Scots should be given a straight choice between remaining part of the Union or independence if an IndyRef2 takes place.
The former Labour MP - who served as chair of the Yes campaign's advisory board during the 2014 referendum campaign - rejected devo max being included on the ballot paper.
It could see the Scottish Parliament handed full powers over the economy - but foreign affairs and defence matters would be reserved to Westminster.Debate raged among Nationalists last week after a former SNP policy chief declared devo max should be a third option at a future referendum.
Canavan told the Record that previous attempts to strengthen Holyrood had fallen short and proved the idea could not be taken seriously.He criticised the Smith Commission - which saw parties work together to hand MSPs more powers in the wake of the 2014 vote - "as hopelessly inadequate"He told the Record: "It was doomed to failure because it was a panic measure - based on expediency rather than democratic principle."He added: "If Unionists now want to put devo max on a referendum ballot paper they should spell out exactly what they mean by it."Otherwise they are asking people to vote for a pig in a poke."Under any model of devo max, many of the most important powers would still be retained by Westminster - including foreign affairs, defence, immigration and the economy."The people of Scotland would therefore be unable to decide on important matters such as currency, nuclear weapons and our relations with Europe and the rest of the world."Only an independent Scotland
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