Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell has expressed concern over the future of the British Monarchy in an independent Scotland in the wake of comments by the Chairman of the Yes Scotland campaign.
While the SNP have claimed that a separate Scotland would retain the Queen as head of state, the leader of the campaign for an independent Scotland has now announced his desire to abolish the Monarchy. Dennis Canavan, the Yes campaign chairman, is calling for another referendum, this time to decide whether or not a separate Scotland would keep the Royal Family as head of state. Mr Canavan said that the Monarchy is “an affront to democracy and a complete anachronism in a modern 21st Century democracy.”
Commenting, David Mundell said: “Yet again, the Yes Scotland campaign have demonstrated how out of touch they are with the people of Scotland - you just need to look at the very warm reception the Queen received on her recent visit to Peebles to see how well-liked she is. The Royal Family are part of the fabric of Scottish life, and sadly given the kinds of arguments and inconsistency we have seen from the SNP I am not surprised by these comments.
“That the SNP have been trying to hide the reality of an independent Scotland from Scottish people is sadly no surprise. Just like with currency, pensions, and EU membership, we are being kept in the dark on the SNP’s plans for a separate Scotland. They can’t guarantee that we’ll keep the pound, our passports or our pensions, and now it appears they’re not even sure if they want to keep The Queen as head of state. These remarks will only add to the confusion surrounding the Nationalists vision of an independent Scotland, and I know that people in my constituency will be as concerned as I am as to what would happen to the Monarchy should we see a vote to break up the Union next year.”