U-turn on referendum denied

Lib Dems reject claims party is about to support SNP bid for bill

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Liberal Democrat leaders have rejected claims the party is about to U-turn and support the SNP on an independence referendum.

It follows a report that several Westminster candidates are preparing to speak out publicly for the first time to force party bosses to change tack.

If the Lib Dems did agree to support Alex Salmond’s planned referendum bill, its 16 MSPs — coupled with 47 Nationalists and two Greens — would be enough to get the legislation through the Scottish Parliament.

So far only one Westminster candidate, Kevin Lang, who is standing in Edinburgh North and Leith, has broken ranks.

MEP George Lyon supports a referendum, but believes that in the heart of the deepest recession in recent history the timing is not right.

Shadow Scottish secretary and MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael said the party would not support Alex Salmond’s “dishonest political exercise”.

Mike Rumbles, the chief whip at Holyrood, said it would be “dishonest and disreputable” for the party to go back on its election pledge.

In March all Lib Dem MSPs supported his amendment against a referendum bill.

But the MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine hinted that, if the membership wanted, the party could change its stance for the next Scottish Parliament after the 2011 elections.

“There is absolutely no chance of any kind of U-turn, but that is not so say we can’t make our own minds up for the next parliament,” he said.

The SNP is hoping that the Scottish Lib Dem leader will be forced to bow to internal pressure.

Western Isles Nationalist MSP Alasdair Allan said: “It is now clear that Tavish Scott must change his party’s position on an independence referendum or face further embarrassment from a host of prominent Lib Dems.”