Willie Rennie, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
The SNP could still gain “independence by the
back door” through an “ultra extreme” form of devolution in a post-election
deal, Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie will say tonight.
The comments follow warnings by former First
Minister Alex Salmond last week that the forthcoming UK election could be used
to secure “home rule” for Scotland.
Mr Rennie will claim “the Nationalist campaign
continues” in a keynote speech in Edinburgh.
But Nationalists last night dismissed the claims
and insisted there is widespread support for Holyrood controlling all areas of
government policy except defence and foreign affairs. “Independence can only be
decided in a referendum,” said SNP backbench MSP Mark MacDonald.
Mr Rennie will go on the offensive in a lecture
at the David Hume Institute this evening in Edinburgh.
“The SNP want independence by the back door,” Mr
Rennie will say. “As a minimum they say they want a form of ultra-extreme
devolution that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world and which would
inevitably tip Scotland into independence.”
Mr Rennie will accuse Nationalists of
“redefining what an election was about” after the votes have been counted.
