Former council leader Sir Charles Gray says Labour’s supporters ‘must vote yes’

A former Labour leader of the old Strathclyde regional council has revealed his support for Scottish independence and urged all party supporters to vote Yes.

Sir Charles Gray, 84, who led the large authority from 1986 to 1992, believes Labour will be elected the first government of an independent Scotland at the next election in 2016.

“I would appeal to all Labour supporters to grab this unique opportunity and to vote for an independent Scotland so that we can start to build the kind of country we want for our families and future generations based on an agenda of social justice and fairness,” he said in a statement released by independence campaign group Yes Scotland.

“I have always been in favour of home rule for Scotland and we have to give credit to Alex Salmond and the SNP for getting us to this stage in the process.

“A Yes vote is the only way to ensure that Scotland gets the kind of government that the people of Scotland choose and that we get rid of a Westminster system that is out of touch with Scottish opinion, priorities and values and imposes such dreadful policies such as the bedroom tax.”