Scottish independence: Greens back general election route to indyref2
- Published
Patrick Harvie says he is "really looking forward" to moving into the indyref2 campaign
The Scottish Greens said a single issue general election on independence has to be an option if formal consent for indyref2 is not granted.
Co-leader Patrick Harvie said it would be the only alternative if both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Supreme Court block the request.
Opposition parties have criticised the strategy and its timing.
It comes after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week proposed holding a referendum on 19 October 2023.
The UK government said it would examine the first minister's proposals, but stressed that its position that "now is not the time" for another referendum had not changed.
It has also said that it is "clear" that the constitution is reserved to Westminster.
Meanwhile, one expert has said a marginal swing for either side in Scotland's proposed independence referendum could decide the outcome as the polls are so tight.
A new poll found showed 44% of Scots are opposed to another referendum, with 43% in favour.
The research by Panelbase for the Sunday Times also indicated that 48% would vote for independence, with 47% against, while 5% were undecided.
In 2014 Scotland voted to stick with the UK by 55% to 45%.
Speaking on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, Mr Harvie said he was "really looking forward" to moving into the independence campaign now that the path to a poll has been outlined.
And he said it was "very clear" that the Scottish government had a mandate to hold one next year.
Mr Harvie, whose party is in a power sharing agreement with the SNP at Holyrood, told the programme: "Repeated pro-independence majorities, elected by voters in Scotland to both parliaments: if that's not a mandate, frankly I don't know what is.
"But if the UK government won't respect that, we will ask the court to determine that we can proceed without any legal bar to that. That's clearly the preferred route."
Independence campaigners have been hoping for a new referendum since 2014
But Mr Harvie accepted the pro-independence movement needed to be prepared for the referendum bid being turned down by both the prime minister and the Supreme Court,
The legal route would involve judges being asked whether Holyrood could stage a referendum without Westminster's consent.
Ms Sturgeon has already said that if she was barred from holding such a ballot, she would make the next UK general election - due to take place before the end of 2024 - a "de-facto referendum" on the issue.
Asked if the Scottish Greens would stand right across the country, Mr Harvie said it would always be up to the party's local branches.
But he added: "I would expect that we will stand but we will be debating that over our party conference and in our discussions over the coming months."
On the party's approach to such a campaign, he said: "We would be setting out very clearly a Green vision for an independent Scotland, a specifically Green vision for an independent Scotland, and we would be accepting the premise that a majority of votes for pro-independence party candidates needs to be respected as a mandate."
'Astonishing'
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton criticised Mr Harvie's position.
He told The Sunday Show: "It is astonishing to hear the leader of a Green Party saying that they would go into a general election primarily fixated on one issue.
"If they are not going to run a campaign on the climate emergency, Scottish Liberal Democrats will.
"And why? What a dog's breakfast of a strategy this is for the Yes movement.
"It is not going to give any clarity and it is coming at the worst possible time as well."
Mr Cole-Hamilton highlighted challenges such as cancer care waiting times and drug deaths.
He added: "These are the issues that we should be focusing our political minds on, not further attempts to break up the United Kingdom."
The prime minister has repeatedly indicated that he does not believe a referendum should be held any time soon
Scottish Labour constitution spokeswoman Sarah Boyack said: "Faced with a climate crisis, the Scottish Green Party is deciding to put flags before the future of our planet.
"This is a betrayal of the thousands of environmentalists who oppose the break-up of the UK.
"The focus of all of Scotland's politicians must be on re-building our NHS, our economy, our public services and tackling our climate crisis."
And Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative spokesman for net zero, energy and transport, said: "The Scottish Greens have long been derided as merely an environmental offshoot of the SNP - but now we can drop the 'environmental' bit from that definition.
"Patrick Harvie let the mask slip by admitting the pursuit of independence trumps all else for his party - just as it does for the SNP.
"The fact that in a climate emergency the Scottish Greens are prepared to fight the next election solely on the constitution, is breathtaking."
Polling 'deadlock'
Polling expert Mark Diffley said support for Scotland remaining in the UK was "absolutely in deadlock" with support for independence.
And he said it was unlikely that would change until a referendum campaign began.
Mr Diffley told The Sunday Show: "Everything will come down to the campaign - how good those campaigns are, how they speak to people, their positivity or negativity, so on and so forth.
"That is what will really count.
"Because the polls are so tight at the moment, if we get into a campaign a marginal swing in either direction will make the difference."
Meanwhile, the SNP has launched a new campaign to encourage Scots to register to vote in the run-up to next year's planned independence referendum.
In 2014, almost 85% of all those who were registered to vote had their say in the referendum.
SNP president Mike Russell insisted that the importance of registering to take part in the next referendum "cannot be overstated".
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