Ask a Stupid Question

I watched some of yesterday's coverage from the Scottish Parliament - which focused on the government's plans to hold a referendum in 2014 - on whether or not Scotland should become an independent country.

Now I'm quite relaxed about the whole business - even if others are getting their knickers into a terrible old twist.

Take the Lib Dem leader in Scotland - Willie Rennie - he seems to think he's asked the world's smartest question - by thinking up difficult scenarios or outcomes that a future referendum might throw up.

'What would happen if 51% of people voted for independence - but 99% of people voted for Devo Max?', asked the Lib Dem leader.

Disingenuously - of course - because if the Lib Dems get their way, the Scottish people won't get to air their views on Devo Max and more powers for the Scottish Parliament.

Because along with the Labour party and the Tories - the Lib Dems want to have only one question on the ballot paper - a straight Yes or No choice between independence and the status quo. 

But the obvious answer to Willie Rennie's riddle is that you decide things in order - you don't move on to a second or even a third question - until you've got an answer to the first question.

To my mind the way to do this is to ask first of all:

Question 1 
Should Scotland become an independent country?

Yes or No

Now if the answer to the first question is a majority for Yes - then that's that - the people have spoken.

But iIf the answer to the first question is a majority for No - then you move on and count all the votes for the second question - the precise terms of which has still to be decided. 

In reality all Willie Rennie and his chums are doing is to construct an Aunt Sally argument - a ridiculous scenario of their own choosing - then knocking it back down again.

Hoping that people will appreciate his cleverness and agile Lib Dem brain. 

Well I think the point he's making is facile and stupid - but if Willie Rennie and the Lib Dems want to find a way of giving people a proper choice - by having a second or even third question on the ballot paper - then I'm all ears.

As for Johann Lamont and Scottish Labour - their big claim is even less worthy - with the Labour leader arguing that now is not the right time for Scotland to strike out on its own - what with the recession and all.

Now if I had a pound for every time people in the Labour party told me this is not the right time - I could retire to the Bahamas.

I remember well my days in Unison - at Scottish Labour party conferences - where people would say 'don't rock the boat' - over PFI, for example, or some other controversial policy - because an election was just around the corner. 

If that's the best argument that Labour and the trade unions can come up with - then they're in a bigger mess than even I think.

Because the Labour party at Westminster is arguing for the coalition government to take a different path - when it comes to economic growth and public spending.

And as far as Scotland is concerned - only independence or Devo Max would give the Scottish Parliament such powers - the status quo would simply deliver more of the same.  

So I hope the standard of debate will improve over the next few months - because ridiculous scare stories and Aunt Sally arguments are not what people want to hear.