George Galloway: Devo-max must be an option on independence referendum

George Galloway: 'The Scottish Government needs power over the economy.'© STV

The Scottish independence referendum must include a second option which would see more powers being devolved to Holyrood, according to George Galloway.

The former Labour MP, who returned to Westminster in the Bradford West by-election in March, said he opposes independence but backs a second question on "full economic powers short of secession".

First Minister Alex Salmond has not ruled out including a second referendum question on greater economic powers for the Scottish Parliament for those who vote No to independence, commonly described as devo-plus or devo-max.

Writing in Holyrood Magazine, Mr Galloway said: "I'm a pretty well-known opponent of independence and I'll certainly be campaigning hard against it.

"Alex Salmond, until recently a consummate operator, has sullied himself and surely damaged his party in the polls with the leaked emails about kissing and not telling with (media tycoon Rupert) Murdoch. When you trawl the gutter, you harvest the filth.

"But where we do agree, and I thought I'd never say this, is on the economy."

The Dundee-born MP said the Tory-Lib Dem coalition at Westminster has been a "soaring failure" on the economy and said his former Labour stablemates' "clothes have been stolen" by the SNP in Scotland with its "popular social democratic" policies.

Mr Galloway wrote: "The Scottish Government needs power over the economy, pulling the levers for the worthy rather than the wealthy, which is why I favour a second question option on the ballot paper, however it's phrased and whatever it's called.

"Devo-max? Independence-lite? However it's described, it should be full economic powers short of secession."

People who read this story also read