Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. Photo: The Canadian Press Files OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says Canada welcomes the results of Scotland’s referendum in which voters chose to remain in the United Kingdom.
The vote on Thursday — 55 per cent against independence to 45 per cent in favour — prevented a rupture of a 307-year union with England.
In a statement posted on the Dept. of Foreign Affairs website, Baird said the Scottish people “voted to remain within a strong United Kingdom.”
Baird also said the “peaceful, open and democratic way in which two very different but sincere views was handled is a credit to the Scottish and U.K. governments.”
He added that Canada and the U.K. share deep historical bonds and the federal government looks forward to this friendship continuing well into the future.
Meanwhile, prominent Quebec sovereigntists say they hope pro-independence Scots fight to ensure London delivers on its referendum-campaign promises of new powers for Scotland.
Otherwise, they fear the Scottish Yes camp could end up like the Quebecois.
Daniel Turp, who played a key role for the Yes side during Canada’s own hard-fought unity battles, said the Scots are in a position Quebec sovereigntists found themselves in during the 1980 and 1995 referendum campaigns.
“They voted no because to some extent they were promised some more powers or some more devolution, so I guess it’s up to the No camp now to prove that they will abide by their promises,” Turp said Friday in an interview from Scotland.
Daniel Turp left, who played a key role for the Yes side during Canada’s own hard-fought unity battles, says Scotland is in a position Quebec sovereigntists found themselves in during the 1980 and 1995 referendum campaigns. Peter McCabe/ Postmedia News
“And if not, what happened in Quebec will happen in Scotland — there will be another referendum on independence one day.”
Turp, who travelled to Edinburgh for Thursday’s vote, said the No side made pledges during Quebec’s independence-referendum campaigns. Sovereigntists say among the unfulfilled promises was the vow to recognize Quebec as a distinct society.
Maxime Laporte, president of the Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montreal, also travelled to Scotland for the referendum. He also hoped the Scots would keep pressure on the British government to deliver on its pledges.
“It’s important not to blindly trust the No camp when they’re saying that there will be devolution,” Laporte said Friday in a phone interview from Edinburgh.
“Nothing happened (in Quebec) and since then it’s been the status quo. So it’s important that Scotland keeps on working on its autonomy.”
The success of Scotland’s pro-independence campaign captured the imagination of supporters of Quebec’s down-and-out sovereignty cause. The fractured Quebec movement is searching for ways to rebound after major electoral defeats in recent years.
Laporte, among many Quebec sovereigntists who attended rallies in Scotland on Friday, said the disappointment was evident in the streets among pro-independence supporters.
But he said he also saw optimism.
Founding father of the Parti Quebecois Rene Levesque. Postmedia News files
“Now Scots are saying, as (Parti Quebecois founding father) Rene Levesque said in 1980, … ‘Until the next time.’ I think it can be an inspiration for Quebec,” said Laporte, whose group is dedicated to protecting the French language in Quebec and promoting sovereignty.
“It’s important not to despair. The struggles for independence throughout history have been long — very long for many people.”
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