The Regan Proposal
The Voter Empowerment Mechanism: the Responsible Route to
an Independent Scotland
Introduction
The pursuit of Scottish independence is at the very heart of the Scottish National Party (SNP).
Over the years, we have witnessed the democratic right to another referendum being
persistently rebuffed by Westminster, resulting in a democratic deficit that is impossible to
overlook. The time has come for an improved approach, one that entrusts the power of self-
determination directly to the Scottish people. This document presents the Voter
Empowerment Mechanism (VEM), a strategy proposed by Ash Regan MSP during her
campaign for the SNP leadership. The VEM offers a pragmatic, democratic, and proactive
pathway to achieving independence.
The Constraints of a ‘Section 30 Referendum’ and a One-off ‘De Facto Referendum’
Historically, the conventional path to Scottish independence was through securing a majority
of pro-independence members in parliament. However, in the lead-up to the 2007 Holyrood
election, the SNP introduced a new strategy. A vote for the SNP would not be interpreted as a
mandate to negotiate independence, but rather as a mandate for responsible governance at
Holyrood. The question of independence would be decided by a referendum, contingent on a
Section 30 order from the UK government granting permission for such a vote.
Following this strategy, the SNP won in 2007, secured a Section 30 order in 2013, and held a
referendum in 2014. Despite the No vote in 2014, support for independence has grown
steadily in the years since, fuelled by significant changes in circumstances, such as Brexit, and
the unfulfilled promises of the No campaign. However, the SNP's continued pursuit of
another referendum, hailed as the “gold standard”, has been consistently rebuffed by the UK
government since 2014. This has effectively created a blockade on the path to independence
via the Section 30 referendum route.
The idea of a one-off de facto referendum, while seemingly a direct path to independence, is
not a prudent approach. It puts all the chips on a single event, which can be swayed by
transient factors and may not truly reflect the enduring will of the people.
The Supreme Court’s Judgement and the Ballot Box
The Supreme Court's recent judgement has inadvertently cast a spotlight on the power of the
ballot box, while simultaneously complicating the path to a Section 30 referendum. Despite
international legal opinions suggesting that the UK Supreme Court may have erred in its
rulings, Scotland cannot afford to wait for international courts to intervene.
SNP Convention on Independence – June 2023
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