The Scottish flag and British Union Jack fly outside the Scotland Office in London.
Reuters/London
The leader of Scotland’s pro-independence campaign Alex Salmond yesterday dismissed an accusation that grassroots supporters had used “organised street mobbery” to try to silence a series of street debates hosted by an opposition lawmaker.
The two sides in debate over Scotland’s future have been trading barbs ahead of a September 18 vote on whether to become an independent state, or to keep the country’s 307-year-old union with England and Wales intact.
A poll last week showed that support for independence had risen after a televised debate, although surveys still show a lead for the ‘Better Together’ anti-independence campaign.
The accusations of intimidation came from Jim Murphy, a member of the British parliament who last week suspended a tour of Scottish towns designed to promote the case for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
Murphy, who was pelted by eggs during one debate, said he had been the victim of a sinister and coordinated effort by local-level campaigners to drown out his events.
“There are always hecklers. That’s absolutely fine. But what’s happened over the past fortnight or so is organised street mobbery, and that’s unacceptable,” Murphy told Sky News.
But Scottish nationalist leader Salmond dismissed the idea that there had been a co-ordinated attempt to undermine Murphy’s events, writing such things off as the actions of a lone few.
“I condemn egg throwing or any intimidation from any side... Let’s condemn the odd idiot, because there are idiots on all sides,” he said, accusing Murphy of “ridiculous” attention-seeking.
Salmond insisted that bickering should not be allowed to overshadow the independence debate during its final days, saying that the referendum had engaged hundreds of thousands of Scots in a political debate for the first time.
“This is the most empowering story in history - certainly Scottish history,” he said.
However, not all Scots have engaged with the debate. Scottish police said that a 28-year-old man had been arrested for allegedly trying to sell his vote in the referendum through the online auctions site eBay.
Even British prime minister David Cameron had to intervene over the “insults, egg-throwing and rage”.
“There’s nothing wrong with a bit of heckling but throwing things isn’t necessarily part of the democratic process,” Cameron said last week, after a “No” campaigner Murhpy was pelted with eggs.
“I’ve always thought that it isn’t right to throw eggs at people—I had one myself in Cornwall once, it’s an interesting experience,” the prime minister told reporters.
Salmon also condemned the incident but said he too had been a victim of harassment, being chased by an angry driver brandishing a “No” sign.
“All politicians should beware, yes of course we call for good conduct, online and offline, yes of course we do.
“But don’t confuse the actions of a few people with the 99.9% of the people of Scotland who are enjoying the most invigorating, scintillating, exciting debate in our political history,” he said.
Earlier this week, Douglas Alexander, a top Labour politician of Scottish origin, said the referendum was dividing Scotland after being branded a “liar” on a live radio phone-in.
Alexander said the challenge would be to “bring Scotland together” after the vote and said he had been called “scum”, a “quisling” and “Judas” after speaking out in favour of unity.