By Laura Moulden
The Scottish government has released a paper outlining how the transition to independence would take place today (February 5th).
If the populace of the country were to vote ‘yes’ in the upcoming referendum next year, Scotland’s independence day would be scheduled to take place in March 2016.
Deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon urged UK policymakers to abide by the Electoral Commission’s recommendations and partake in discussions about the future of the nation.
“An independent Scotland is not an end in itself, rather it offers us an opportunity to build the kind of country we all want to see,” she said.
Ms Sturgeon went on to state that the referendum would give Scots an “unprecedented opportunity” to put together a “solid” constitutional platform for the country.
“There is no reason that talks on the process required to make Scotland an independent country – if the people of Scotland make that choice – cannot begin now,” she added.
The document outlines plans for a written constitution, which would be drafted by a convention comprised of Scottish people and representatives of institutions in the country.
However, the plan has come under fire from critics, with Alistair Darling, head of the Better Together campaign, calling the scheme’s timescale into question.
“What they are saying is that in less than a year you can break all the ties of the past and you can fix something entirely new,” he told BBC Radio Scotland.
Image used courtesy of Donald Bowers Photography / Shutterstock.com.
