Nicola Sturgeon and David Cameron clash over EU referendum date

Nicola Sturgeon has slammed David Cameron for refusing to rule out holding the EU referendum on the same day as a string of other elections.

The First Minister has sent a shot across the bows of her Downing Street counterpart amid fears the crunch European vote will overshadow local elections in England, as well as votes to the devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Watchdogs have already ruled the EU referendum should not be shared with any other elections but the Prime Minister last week said the timing of the vote should be determined by when negotiations on EU reform are completed.

He pointed out the 2011 referendum on switching to the alternative voting system was held at the same time as the last Holyrood election but the issue looks set to be the first major clash of the two administrations since last month’s General Election.

Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Post, Miss Sturgeon said: “Holding the EU referendum on the same day as the Holyrood election would be totally unacceptable.

“The independent Electoral Commission has already said that the EU referendum should not clash with any other elections and that is a principle Mr Cameron previously signed up to in the Edinburgh Agreement ahead of the independence referendum.

“We didn’t support holding an in-out referendum on EU membership, which seriously threatens jobs and investment in Scotland and risks dragging us out of Europe against our will but now that it is to take place, it should meet the gold standard set by the independence referendum.

“That means not holding it on the same day as other elections as well as giving the vote to 16 and 17 year-olds and to all EU citizens resident here.”

Voters in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will all vote in elections to their devolved parliaments on May 6 next year.

Local council elections in England and the London mayoral vote are also taking place on that date.

Mr Cameron has vowed to hold his in-out referendum on membership of the EU by 2017 but there has been intense speculation that it will take place next year.

With Mr Cameron possibly stepping aside in 2018 after already stating he does not want a third term as PM, Westminster insiders have said it is clear he is trying to push through all his “big tickets” as quickly as he can.

Pressed by Labour last week, Mr Cameron said he thought voters were capable of voting on two different issues.

The Electoral Commission has already stated that referendum polling day should not be on the same day as other votes.

If the referendum takes place on the same day as the Holyrood elections then Scotland’s main parties will find themselves in the bizarre position of fighting two simultaneous campaigns, one to stay in the EU where they are all on the same side and another, the Holyrood election, where they are all at loggerheads.

A UK Government spokesman said: “As the Prime Minister has said, the deadline for the referendum is the end of 2017. If it can be done earlier, the Government will consider that.”

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