SNP’s Alyn Smith ‘would be up for’ debate on monarchy after independence

Alyn Smith - image credit: EP Audiovisual

SNP MEP Alyn Smith has said he “would be up for” a debate on the monarchy after a vote for independence.

Smith, who is putting himself forward to be depute leader of the party, was asked in a life chat on Reddit yesterday where he stood on the issue of monarchy versus republic.

He did not come down in favour of either option, but suggested that were Scotland to become an independent country, he would favour a second referendum on the subject of the monarchy.

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“I want to see the people of Scotland in charge of Scotland's future, so, once we regain independence I would be up for a referendum on the subject and the people will choose, but let’s do it after independence so we can have a proper debate about the subject in its own right," he said.

“There are monarchies I like, and there are republics I like, so long as the people have chosen I'll respect that choice.”

Smith also said that he would foresee that he would be “confident” that the party would “put ‘if you're living in Scotland, you're Scottish’ into operation” in deciding who was Scottish after a vote for independence.

The online discussion also touched on EU membership. Smith said that he had seen a “marked shift” in opinion on Scotland across the EU and the country now has “huge goodwill”.

“Don't underestimate too the impact Scotland could have, at a time when the EU could do with a good news story, a small, rich, (in the eyes of many folk across the EU) geographically peripheral country wanting to stay part of the EU is hugely important good news story,” he said.