SIR MENZIES CAMPBELL has warned the next leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats to oppose an independence referendum, even if the party conference votes in favour, writes Tom Gordon.

The former national leader said there should be no “slavish adherence” to the wishes of the party’s rank and file on such an important issue.

Two of the three candidates in the race to replace Nicol Stephen as leader of the Scottish Lib Dems have already said they are open-minded about a ballot on breaking up Britain.

Mike Rumbles has proposed putting the issue to the party’s Scottish conference next spring — if members backed a vote, then Lib Dem MSPs would help to pass the required legislation in 2010.

Ross Finnie said it would be “mad” to rule out a referendum after a proper debate.

However Campbell, who is backing Tavish Scott, the hard-line referendum opponent, said it was down to the party’s 16 MSPs not its 4,000 Scottish members to decide how to vote, despite the conference being the party’s policy-making body.

“We campaigned throughout the Scottish parliament elections on the basis we were against a referendum. It was one of the issues which precluded any question of a deal between Alex Salmond and Nicol Stephen. To go back on that within 13, 14 months might be regarded in some quarters as inconsistent,” the northeast Fife MP said.

“The party in parliament has to decide if it’s bound by the decision of the conference. Party policy has obviously got to be given weight, but it’s not a question of slavish adherence to policy, one way or another.”

Campbell, who stepped down as UK leader last October, also counselled MSPs against entering into a coalition with the SNP this parliament, something both Rumbles and Finnie said was possible if there was something in it for Lib Dems.

“So long as an independence referendum was at the heart of Alex Salmond’s position, I think people who had been elected, as the MSPs were, on a quite different platform, would want to think twice before any coalition. One of the reasons I’ve declared for Tavish Scott is that I think he’s got clear views about these matters.”

Rumbles said it was “hugely disappointing” of Campbell to suggest ignoring the wishes of the grassroots.

“This is symptomatic of the problems that we have been having over the last few years. A gulf seems to have opened between parliamentarians and the rest of the party,” said Rumbles.

“The party makes the policy and it’s up to the leadership to show the way and implement it as best we can. It’s not for 16 people to decide on a huge issue. ”

Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP deputy first minister, said democracy should take its course. “It’s hardly liberal or democratic to stand in the way of an independence referendum, even to the extent of ignoring the views of the Lib Dem membership,” she said.

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