Humza Yousaf promises referendum on monarchy

People in Scotland would be given a referendum on whether to keep King Charles as head of state if the nation votes for independence, the Scottish Government has confirmed.

The policy is contained in the latest in a series of prospectus papers on an independent Scotland, which sets out plans for the new nation to have a written constitution.

The document, which was launched by First Minister, Humza Yousaf, at an event in Glasgow on Monday, says that on day one after independence the King would remain head of state.

But it says this would only be the case “for as long as the people of Scotland wish to retain the monarchy” and promises to give them the final say through a referendum.

Mr Yousaf said policy on the monarchy would be considered by a constitutional convention created after independence, which would draft a written constitution for Scotland within the first three to five years of leaving the UK.

The First Minister, who is a self-declared republican, said during the SNP leadership contest that Scotland could scrap the monarchy within five years of breaking away from the UK.

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But the Scottish Government paper, the fourth in the Building A New Scotland series which began under Nicola Sturgeon, is the first time that the policy has been laid out.

Mr Yousaf said the constitutional convention would be tasked with considering important issues such as whether a second chamber could be added to the Scottish parliament to provide more robust scrutiny of government decisions.

“Should there be other issues that it should discuss and debate? I absolutely think so,” he added. “One of those should be whether or not continuing with a constitutional monarchy is appropriate, or whether there should be an elected head of state.”

Asked whether the proposed referendum on the constitutional convention would include whether or not to keep King Charles as head of state, he replied: “Hypothetically, if that is what a constitutional convention seeks to do.

“I’m not going to prejudge what a constitutional convention will say or what it will do.

“But it could well look at – and probably should look at – whether we have the right model in relation to a head of state in the future.”

The First Minister said a written constitution in an independent Scotland could also help to protect workers’ rights to strike and guarantee healthcare that is “free at the point of need”.

It could also rule out nuclear weapons from being based in the country, a longstanding SNP policy.

Responding to the paper’s publication, Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman, Donald Cameron, said it was the “height of self-indulgence”.

“The SNP are so obsessed with their push for independence that they are now pressing for not just one divisive referendum but two to take place if they ever get their way,” he added.