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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Alexander makes referendum threat | Alexander makes referendum threat |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander may bring forward plans for a public vote on independence. | Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander may bring forward plans for a public vote on independence. |
| She made the threat as she called on the Scottish Government to speed up its plans for a 2010 referendum. | She made the threat as she called on the Scottish Government to speed up its plans for a 2010 referendum. |
| Unionist parties attacked Ms Alexander's stance, while Downing Street distanced itself from the plans. | Unionist parties attacked Ms Alexander's stance, while Downing Street distanced itself from the plans. |
| Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the SNP would not be hurried into changing its timetable for the planned referendum bill. | Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the SNP would not be hurried into changing its timetable for the planned referendum bill. |
| But Ms Alexander said this would only cause uncertainty, as she gave her support to a straight yes/no vote. | But Ms Alexander said this would only cause uncertainty, as she gave her support to a straight yes/no vote. |
| She said: "We're in a crazy position where the deputy first minister said she believed there was a majority for independence in the country but apparently she wants to be a unionist for the next three years. | She said: "We're in a crazy position where the deputy first minister said she believed there was a majority for independence in the country but apparently she wants to be a unionist for the next three years. |
| Wendy Alexander's behaviour is erratic in the extreme Nicola SturgeonDeputy first minister of Scotland | |
| "I personally think that's absurd. If she's convinced she's got a majority, we shouldn't leave it to the fag end of a parliament to get around to testing public opinion." | "I personally think that's absurd. If she's convinced she's got a majority, we shouldn't leave it to the fag end of a parliament to get around to testing public opinion." |
| When asked during a news conference if she had plans to bring forward her own referendum bill, Ms Alexander replied: "That is certainly one of the options that would be available to us." | When asked during a news conference if she had plans to bring forward her own referendum bill, Ms Alexander replied: "That is certainly one of the options that would be available to us." |
| At Westminster, where Labour MPs were preparing to discuss the issue, there was growing anger at Ms Alexander's call for a referendum. | |
| A senior Labour source accused her of trying to ''bounce'' Prime Minister Gordon Brown into supporting a vote on the issue and added that it was a huge tactical error to make such a call when Mr Brown was under pressure following bad local election results in England. | |
| 'Implacably opposed' | |
| Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Labour leader's comments were a "panic reaction" by a party which was plummeting at the polls. | |
| The deputy first minister told BBC Radio Scotland: "If Wendy Alexander really does now support an independence referendum, clearly I and the SNP welcome her very warmly indeed. | |
| "But we have to inject a note of caution here. Wendy Alexander's behaviour is erratic in the extreme. | |
| "It's only a few weeks ago she said she was implacably opposed to a referendum, she's just set up a constitutional commission that expressly excludes the option of independence. | |
| "So, who knows what her position will be this time next week, let alone in six months time." |