Claim of Right for Scotland

Debate between Neil Gray and Lesley Laird

Wednesday 4th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Lesley Laird]

I will move on.

Here we are today, not four years after the referendum, and the issue has never gone away. Labour’s position on the claim of right is unambiguous. We helped to write it; we signed it; we supported it in the past, and we will support it in the future. The claim of right states that the Scottish people have the sovereign right to determine the form of government best suited to their needs. Determining the form of government best suited to their needs is exactly what people in Scotland already do and it is exactly what they did in the 2014 independence referendum. People in Scotland were faced with a choice: to leave the United Kingdom and have the Scottish Government as their sole Government, or to remain in the United Kingdom and have two Governments. They chose the latter, by 55% to 45%.

[Neil Gray (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)]

The motion talks about the claim of right, rather than the votes we have had previously. Labour used to support this, so I wonder whether the hon. Lady feels she might be able to support the motion this evening.

[Lesley Laird]

Labour will always be happy to support the claim of right—I have just outlined that position.