The prime minister has formally refused to go head-to-head with Scotland’s first minister in a televised debate on the independence referendum.
The issue is a matter for “Scots living in Scotland” and should not become a glorified general election, David Cameron wrote in a letter to Alex Salmond. Any TV debate should instead involve Alistair Darling, the Labour MP leading the pro-UK Better Together campaign, he said.
“It is a well understood and reasonable principle that you get to pick your own team’s captain, but not your opponent’s as well,” the Tory leader wrote.
“I understand why you might wish to pursue a diversionary tactic. It is a convenient means of deflecting attention away from the real issues – the lack of credibility of your plans for a currency union, funding pensions, and managing volatile oil revenues. You want the independence debate to be an argument between you and me; the Scottish Government and UK Government; the SNP and Conservative Party – in fact anything rather than what it really is about.”
The consequences of the vote on September 18 next year will be “irreversible” and will be felt long after both politicians have retired from politics, he wrote.
“The referendum is therefore too important to be reduced to the status of some glorified general election.”
It follows repeated invitations from Mr Salmond, who says the prime minister is the most senior politician arguing for a No vote.
The first minister said the UK Government made decisions affecting Scotland, so Mr Cameron should take part in a debate.
Mr Salmond said: “The highly political nature of the prime minister’s letter rather makes my point for me. He is in the impossible position of continuing to enter the debate on Scottish independence without actually being willing to have a head-to-head debate.
“I would like the opportunity to counter the various spurious and unfounded claims about an independent Scotland he has made in his letter.
“I have noted the prime minister’s apparent unwillingness to take part in another general election debate and I’m sure people will draw their own conclusions from that. Indeed, I believe his refusal to debate Scotland’s future with me can be summed up in one word – feart.”
A spokesman for pro-independence group Yes Scotland said: “Given the importance of the decision to be taken at next September’s referendum, it seems to us entirely appropriate for the first minister of Scotland and the prime minister of the UK to debate the issues surrounding Scotland’s future.”
A Better Together spokesman said: “David Cameron does not have a vote in this referendum. Alistair Darling does. He is ready to debate Alex Salmond any time.”