Crushing blow to U.K. Govt on home rule

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 5

Crushing blow to U.K. Govt on home rule

NZPA-Reuter London The British Government has suffered a crushing defeat on a key issue during the stormy passage through Parliament of its plans for limited home rule for Scotland. Ignoring pleas from Ministers, the House of Commons opted to stick by an earlier decision that the planned Assembly in Edinburgh would only be set up if it was supported in a referendum by 40 per cent of the total Scottish electorate.

Rank-and-file politicians from both major parties combined against the Government to force this provision into the bill because they feared there could be a very low turn-out for a referendum.

Labour’s deputy leader, Mr Michael Foot, who is steering the bill through Parliament, urged members to remove this provision but he was defeated by 45 votes. Now in a turn-out of 60 per cent in the referendum, 67 per cent of the actual voters would have to vote “Yes” for the new Assembly to go ahead. Mr Foot and other Ministers did not want to be bound by such a provision. They feared it could lose them votes in Scotland, where a crucial by-election is expected shortly. The division came after another embarrassing defeat on Tuesday. Against Ministerial advice, a clause that the referendum could not be held within three months of a General Election was included in the bill.