Alex Salmond accused of 'rigging' independence referendum Alex Salmond is facing accusations of trying to rig the independence referendum after admitting that people can respond anonymously as many times as they like to his consultation on the ballot’s rules.
Opposition parties said the system had been “designed for abuse” because it allows each SNP follower to make multiple submissions backing the First Minister’s preferred referendum timing, wording and second question.
The SNP has an army of ‘Cyber Nats’, a group of fanatical supporters attacking Unionist parties on blogs and newspaper websites, that is well placed to artificially boost the number of internet responses. This would allow Mr Salmond to claim overwhelming public support for his autumn 2014 timescale and demand for a second ‘extra powers’ question being included on the ballot paper.
The First Minister has boasted his consultation has received more than 10,000 responses compared to 3,000 received by the Coalition Government. However, the latter insisted on people providing a real name and email address.
The row broke out as the SNP dismissed the Coalition consultation’s findings that 70 per cent of people want the referendum held sooner than autumn 2014, citing its lower number of responses.
Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour deputy leader, said: “Everyone knows that Alex Salmond desperately wants a second question on the ballot and now he has left the door open for his army of Cyber Nats to deliver the response he wants.
"Alex Salmond has done nothing to dispel the notion that he is trying to rig the referendum. The SNP have produced a system that isn't just open to abuse, but looks designed for abuse. This flawed consultation should be abandoned now."
Jackson Carlaw, Scottish Tory deputy leader, said the lack of checks rendered Mr Salmond’s boasts about response numbers “risible”. He said: “This news gives meaning to the old cliché ‘Vote early and vote often!’
“Nothing the SNP now assert on the basis of a rigged consultation to which SNP members can contribute anonymously and as many times as they like will command confidence or deserve to be taken seriously.”
Willie Rennie, the Scottish Lib Dem leader, said: “The SNP must either end the consultation and start all over again or exclude all anonymous submissions.”
The Coalition wants a referendum in September 2013 with a single question on independence using the existing franchise
However, Mr Salmond plans to delay the ballot for at least another year and add a second ‘extra powers’ question if Scots reject independence. He also wants to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote.
The weight of public opinion, measured using the consultation responses, will be a useful bargaining chip for either side in their negotiations for staging the ballot.
Bruce Crawford, the SNP Government Strategy Minister, confirmed that “all responses will be accepted" to the Your Scotland, Your Referendum consultation, including those from people who keep their identity a secret.
This also means people can submit more than one response. But Stewart Hosie, the SNP’s Treasury spokesman, yesterday insisted the public can have a “great deal of confidence” in the consultation, which ends next month.
He said the process was identical to a 2004 consultation on the smoking ban and responses will be verified by an external body appointed by ministers, although he could not say who would perform this task.
“The rules being used are exactly the same rules that have been used in every single other consultation," he said, although this was disputed by Mr Sarwar.
“The idea this is being rigged in any way is an absolutely appalling accusation.” Mr Crawford said the consultation is being conducted using the “highest possible standards”.
Meanwhile, an early analysis of the Coalition’s consultation found only 22 per cent of the individuals and organisations that responded backed Mr Salmond’s autumn 2014 timetable.
Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary, said: “The overwhelming public support for an early vote sends a strong signal that holding off on the decision is an unpopular as it is damaging.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... endum.html
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