A FORMER leader of the SNP has rejected a suggestion that renewal of Trident could spark another independence referendum, saying the move would "only cement a No vote".
Alex Salmond suggested that committing to a new generation of nuclear weapons could be a trigger for a second vote to leave the UK in an interview with The Herald this week.
The argument was rejected by Gordon Wilson, who Mr Salmond took over from in his first spell as SNP leader, who said that Scotland is split down the middle over the issue.
Mr Wilson, who led the party throughout the 1980s, also cautioned against using the in/out EU referendum as a trigger for a fresh vote, saying there is "a delusion amongst (SNP) leadership Europhiles that SNP members, never mind Yes voters, will back Scotland staying in the EU".
He said that Ms Sturgeon was right to be cautious about calling another independence referendum, saying that many supporters were "blind to the hazards".
However, now that she had revealed that the SNP manifesto would set out the possible circumstances and timetable for a second vote, she should appoint a new Yes campaign chief.
Mr Wilson added: "The party owes it to the people, now that it is committing itself to a new referendum, to prepare for the day. Unlike the run-up to 2014, it must plan ahead, do the research, raise pump-priming funds and communicate the benefits of independence as well as the economic and political dangers of sticking with Westminster to Yes supporters and the wider public.
"To go into a second referendum without attempting to persuade the electorate in advance would be recklessness. And Nicola is not reckless. Only the SNP can take the initiative in the years preceding the plebiscite. She should appoint a party campaign director now. We cannot afford a re-run of 2014. Proper preparation will make all the difference. Glorious victory is better than glorious defeat. Proper preparation will make all the difference."
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