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THE SNP has challenged Labour leader Keir Starmer on “Scotland’s democratic right to choose.”
SNP MP Mhairi Black challenged Sir Keir on the matter as he visited the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency, likely to be the site of a hotly contested by-election.
Ms Black said: “On his flying visit, Mr Starmer must outline the exact terms under which the people of Scotland can decide their own future.
“Voters deserve a straight answer.
“If all we get is more waffle from the Labour Party leader on this issue, it will be clear he’s just as bad as the Tories when it comes to disrespecting Scottish democracy.”
But Ms Black’s comments drew criticism of her own party’s commitment to democratic ideals from the Red Paper Collective (RPC) and Radical Options for Scotland and Europe (Rose).
A Rose spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, the SNP’s own record on democracy is not good.
“It has remorselessly taken powers away from local government and proposes to take even more with the National Care Service Bill.
“It has failed, in deference to its EU commitments, to fight for powers over state aid and competitive tendering and in the past year handed over to big business core assets like the wind and wave energy of Scotland’s coastal waters and large areas of infrastructure in the so-called greenports scheme.”
A RPC spokesperson said: “If the SNP truly believes in democracy it should accept that a binary choice between independence and the status quo is unacceptable to many voters.
“There should be a third option offering radical change that is not offered by the SNP or Westminster.
“Labour should act on the conference policy and work with the STUC and others to define this option.”
Scottish Labour was contacted for comment.
