Labour must ”grasp” the opportunity provided by the constitutional debate raging in Scotland to reassert its ”fundamental values,” a senior MP said yesterday.
Shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran said the party has ”nothing to fear” from the independence referendum.
”It is a chance for our party to restate our fundamental values and show how they represent Scottish values,” she told delegates at the Scottish Labour conference in Dundee.
”Because as a party we see the constitution not as an end to itself, but as a means to deliver genuine and real change for communities and families across Scotland.”
Ms Curran was speaking as Mr Salmond revealed the Yes campaign for independence will officially be launched in May.
The constitutional question dominated both the Labour and Liberal Democrat conferences over the weekend, with Labour leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg both attacking the Nationalists.
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, meanwhile, announced the setting up of a devolution commission to examine further powers for the Scottish Parliament as an alternative to independence.
Closing the Labour conference in the Caird Hall on Sunday, Ms Curran accused the SNP Government of being ”fixated on a separatist agenda.”
She said the Nationalists were offering a ”question but not a proposal,” adding: ”It is the stuff of fantasy. Since announcing the referendum Salmond has tried to convince people that we could still be a part of the UK. Now, apparently, we will remain a British nation.
”They are making it up as they go along. Even the ranks of the SNP must be very confused at this point. The more the SNP make the case for separation, the more the case for sharing risks and rewards of the UK is getting stronger.”
Ms Curran said Scotland’s place in the world had been ”radically altered by joining with our neighbours” just over 300 years ago when the union with England was formed.
After that, she said, Scotland had enjoyed one of the ”proudest eras” in its history with the period of the Enlightenment.
”Scots led the world as we forged new paths in philosophy, political economy and legal thought,” she said. ”We did that in partnership with the UK and we can do so again.”
However, she warned that if the debate on the country’s future was ”dominated by nationalism” Labour would ”miss a golden opportunity.”
”If we restrict that debate to the narrow prism of separatism, there is no space for our values of unity,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Salmond revealed the campaign for independence will officially launch shortly after the local government elections in May.
He said it would represent people from across Scotland, including business figures, the Labour movement, civic Scotland and the arts.
”It will be a united, broad-based campaign focused on winning the positive case for independence,” he said. ”It will be an all-Scotland campaign.
”Part of the job and the process of the campaign is to answer all the questions, and explain all the benefits and merits of independence and that is exactly what the Yes campaign will do.
”It contrasts with the confusion and negativity of the Tories and other anti-independence parties.
”They are confused, because theyare either unable or unwilling to spell out to the people of Scotland what their alternative to independence is and Labour have just asked for a year to come up with one.
”The anti-independence parties can’t answer any questions about their constitutional proposals.”
The closing day of the Labour conference also heard speeches from MSPs Claire Baker, Ken Macintosh and Richard Baker.