People in Moray are being urged to express their view on a written constitution for Scotland should the country vote Yes in September’s independence referendum.
The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation period on their Scottish Independence Bill, which sets out their immediate plans for an independent Scotland including the role of government, rule of law and human rights.
A main principle of the Bill is that people are sovereign, rather then Parliament as is the case for the current UK Government.
Richard Lochhead MSP said that the debate on Scotland’s future has been engaging and enthusing people throughout Moray, with many people attending public meetings.
He said: “There are people across our region who believe, fundamentally, that we should have a written constitution protecting and underpinning the basic rights that our citizens have.
“Currently we don’t have a written constitution, and the UK is the only country within the European Union or the Commonwealth that does not have a written constitution or a Constitution Act.
“The interim constitution proposes advancement towards nuclear disarmament, the strengthening of human rights protection, the safeguarding of the wellbeing of children and protection for the particular needs of local government and island communities.
“In the Yes campaign we believe that the Scottish people should be sovereign, rather than our parliament. We also believe that principle should be written into the basic building blocks of an independent Scotland, the constitution which will underpin what our country is like and how it protects and empowers its citizens.
“This is a very exciting time and I would encourage everyone to have their say on the Bill. It is an exciting and unique opportunity to shape our nation, celebrate and protect our values and commit ourselves to building a better country.”