Referendum (Scotland)

Robert Smith Excerpts

Monday 15th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[David Mundell]

In simple terms, the Government will not do that because we do not support 16 and 17-year-olds voting in such elections.

[Sir Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)]

I welcome the agreement, which gives us a single, legally based question that can settle the future for Scotland once and for all. However, will the Minister reinforce the message that any Parliament or Government that chooses to ignore the advice of the Electoral Commission will be judged by the public for what it has done?

[David Mundell]

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. I have absolute faith that the people of Scotland will not be duped by chicanery or trickery by the Scottish Government or anybody else in making this most important decision on the future of Scotland. If any Member of Parliament believes that any party in the referendum is guilty of such a charge, it is their job to hold it to account in debate, whether in the UK Parliament or the Scottish Parliament. We can be confident, because I can see no reason why the Scottish Government, whatever their spin doctors say, would ignore the Electoral Commission’s recommendations, given that no other Government have done so before.