Calls For Political Truce For Glasgow 2014

The Commonwealth Games Federation and Glasgow 2014 have reiterated that the competition will remain focused on the athletes and sport, rather than the ongoing debate over a possible truce in campaigning for the Scottish independence vote during this summer’s Games, according to media reports.

With a referendum on Scottish independence from the rest of the United Kingdom to be held in September, concerns have been raised that the international spotlight that the Games will provide could offer a late opportunity for each side to lobby last minute support.

Lord McConnell, who served as Scottish First Minister between 2001 and 2007, has raised the prospect of a political truce to ensure that ‘for a two week period we can concentrate on Glasgow and Scotland and winning some gold medals for Scotland’.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, he suggested: ‘campaigning relentlessly between now and then and of course afterwards’, but insisted it would ‘be wise, six months before the Games, for both sides to say that they will agree a truce for that two week period.’

‘I don’t think it is a lot to ask both sides of politicians to lay off for that fortnight and to ensure that nobody involved in the Games be distracted or concerned by what they say and do and achieve might be either exploited or used by either side in the aftermath.’

However, current First Minister and leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, has since described the idea as ‘nonsensical’ while Commonwealth Games Minister Shona Robison described it as ‘non-realistic’.

Meanwhile, Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill has announced she will miss the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow because she is pregnant.

The 27-year-old Briton is expecting her first baby with husband Andy, but still plans to defend her Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games.