Last week Patrick Grady MP, the Scottish National Party MP for Glasgow North, secured a Westminster Hall Debate on the 1689 Claim of Right for Scotland and its subsequent, non-legally binding successor document signed in 1989. The debate centered around the sovereignty of the Scottish people - though perhaps inevitably during a debate called by the SNP, the discussion focused heavily on Scottish independence and the possibility of a second referendum. As Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, I was asked to represent the Government and answer questions within the debate.
The debate was of a high calibre. The SNP’s argument was that the Claim of Right entitles the Scottish people to make their own political decisions. The former Conservative leadership candidate, Michael Gove, himself a Scotsman born in Edinburgh, made an exceptionally strong rebuttal speech pointing out that if the Claim of Right does indeed apply, then the SNP should respect the decision the Scottish people made when they voted strongly to remain in the United Kingdom in September 2014.
After the other MPs had finished their speeches I delivered the closing speech and the Government’s response. There is a lot of supporting evidence showing that the UK is far greater unified as one nation rather than torn apart; something clearly articulated in the Scottish independence referendum of September 2014. The Union strengthens the economy on both sides of the border. Most importantly of all, the referendum result was clear and unambiguous, with 10% more of the Scottish people voting to remain in the United Kingdom.