A NEW constitutional campaign to be launched today in Edinburgh is determined to open up the discussion on the proposed referendum rather than be bound by party politics.
Martin Sime, chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary organisations, one of the groups involved in the campaign, said he wants to see more time for debating the issue of the referendum questions.
Churches, trade unions, student organisations and a range of think-tanks and pressure groups are expected to come on board the campaign, which will be determined to give Civic Scotland in its widest sense a greater say before the vote in autumn 2014.
The group is expected to make the case for greatly extended devolution short of full-scale independence – so-called devo-max – and arguing for this to be included on the ballot paper in autumn 2014.
"Politicians seem to know what the answer is and are trying to restrict the question to get the kind of answer they want, whereas this new coalition is trying to open out the debate," Mr Sime said.
"We are not campaigning for any particular option and we're certainly not a ginger group for devo-max, but we are resolved that the debate should be opened up rather than closed down.
"It seems incredible to me we might spend the next two-and-a-half years talking about independence and not devolution. Until we have had that wider debate it seems to me utterly premature to behave as we have in recent weeks as if it was only a matter for the politicians."
He did not pretend there was a settled view at present within the SCVO, and the Rev Ian Galloway, convener of the Kirk's Church and Society Council made the same point. "The Church of Scotland does not have a position of devo-max, independence or the status quo," he said. "The Church will want to participate in encouraging debate, but history tells us that the Church will not adopt a fixed position."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie attacked the First Minister for seeking to manipulate the shape of the referendum.
He said: "By offering false hope to voters by proposing a two-question referendum without a legitimate method of asking the questions, Alex Salmond is trying to drive a wedge between those who reject independence but want more powers for Scotland within the UK.
"Far from a high-minded offer to let the people decide, it is an SNP campaign tactic, the object of which is to get people arguing over process, rather than expose the SNP's policy of independence to proper, detailed and forensic scrutiny."
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