Three days into her job, new Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson went to Downing Street on Monday for talks with Prime Minister David Cameron then warned Alex Salmond must not be allowed to ”rig” the independence referendum.
She challenged the First Minister to name the questions that will appear on ballot papers and name the date of the referendum.
”We recognise that the parties of the UK coalition government secured more votes in Scotland than those who backed Alex Salmond for First Minister in May and that the SNP does not hold the only mandate to speak for Scotland,” said Ms Davidson.
”We agreed that Alex Salmond’s uncertainty and dither over a referendum is not in Scotland’s best interests.
”He must not be allowed to rig the referendum. Our country needs certainty and stability.
”The ball is in the SNP’s court to name the question and name the day. But we cannot and will not allow Scotland to be hoodwinked into independence.”
Mr Cameron said: ”Our Scottish party has, for the first time, a leader of the entire movement in Scotland and I look forward to working with Ruth to tackle the big challenges and opportunities facing the country.
”I am proud that it is the UK Government which is enacting a new Scotland Bill which will transfer significant extra powers to Holyrood and place the responsibility for raising billions of pounds of public spending in the hands of the Scottish Parliament.
”This will meet the demands of the Scottish people for more say over how Scotland is run, and clear the way for a straightforward and clear-cut referendum on ‘yes or no’ to Scotland in Britain.”
Photo Lefteris Pitarakis/PA Wire