Tony Blair on Scottish independence: Scotland will vote to stay united with the rest of Britain
The No campaign is winning the argument in Scotland, former Prime Minister Tony Blair claimed yesterday in a speech in London.
“I think the arguments of the Better Together campaign have got stronger as time has gone on,” he told an event at the Progress think tank, arguing there is “a sense of optimism” about the campaign.
When asked if the No camp had done enough to win the vote, he said: “I hope so, I believe so.”
The polls have narrowed over the last year, with the pro-union vote’s lead narrowing from 20 to 25 percentage points to around 15 points. However, the lead appears to have stabilised at that level recently.
The SNP declared Blair’s comments a victory for the Yes campaign, hoping his unpopularity will boost the separatist cause ahead of September’s vote.
“Getting the support of Tony Blair can only be a huge embarrassment for the No camp,” said Angus Robertson MP, the SNP’s leader in Westminster. “Tony Blair speaking up for No underlines that only with a Yes vote in September can Scotland avoid any future illegal Westminster wars, and decide a foreign policy based on Scotland’s interests.”