TWO of Nicola Sturgeon’s longest-serving MPs have refused to support her call for a People’s Vote in case it jeopardises independence.
Pete Wishart and Angus Brendan Macneil broke the SNP whip and abstained when the option was put to an indicative vote in the Commons on Wednesday night.
It came just four days after the First Minister publicly called for a People’s Vote at the million-strong march and rally in London.
Mr Wishart said he “could not in full conscience” support the proposal for a confirmatory vote on Brexit tabled by former Labour minister Margaret Beckett.
The idea received the largest number of votes of any of the eight options put to MPs, although it was still defeated 295 to 268.
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The option is seen as a way of rerunning the 2016 referendum and overturning Brexit.
Mr Wishart said a second vote on Brexit would have similar “serious consequences” for a future independence referendum by setting a precedent.
On his blog, he said it would be an “open invitation” to the UK government to strike the worst possible exit deal with Scotland in order to stoke resentment and reverse the result.
He wrote: “In supporting this we might be expected to support a ‘confirmatory’ referendum for any deal we negotiate with the UK to secure our independence.
“This would be an open invitation for those opposed to our nation’s independence to try and undermine that result and invite the UK to give us the worst possible ‘deal’ in order to reverse that result.
“There is also the issue that we have not secured any guarantees for Scotland’s position for our unconditional support for this confirmatory vote.
“There will therefore be those who will insist we respect the result of this confirmatory vote even if Scotland votes to reject the ‘deal’ and the UK votes to accept it.”
He said he would push for revocation of the Article 50 withdrawal process instead.
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Both rebel Nationalist MPs have previously criticised the idea of a People’s Vote.
Mr Wishart, who was elected in 2001 and is the longest-serving SNP MP, has warned it could play into the hands of Unionists trying to reverse Yes vote.
Mr Macneil, who was elected in 2005, has also said a People’s Vote is a distraction and the SNP should be focused on achieving independence.
Ms Sturgeon only swung behind the idea of a People’s Vote last autumn when it looked as if the SNP, the Tories and the DUP might be the only parties left opposing it.
Former SNP minister Alex Neil, who voted Leave, said the party's members had been bounced into the position by an undemocratic leadership.
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Asked about Mr Wishart and Mr MacNeil breaking the SNP whip to abstain on a People's Vote, the First Minister's official spokesman said it was "no biggie".
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