Follow Us

Follow us on Twitter  Follow us on LinkedIn
 

15 October 2019

Financial Times: Nicola Sturgeon calls for second independence vote in 2020


Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon said that a second Scottish referendum “must happen next year” as she dismissed Westminster’s continued refusal to grant another independence vote as unsustainable. 

In an upbeat speech enthusiastically received by Scottish National party activists, Ms Sturgeon closed her party’s three-day conference with a message aimed at reassuring critics frustrated by the lack of progress on independence.

The UK government is refusing a rerun of the 2014 referendum, in which Scottish voters backed staying in the UK by 55-45 per cent. Some SNP members believe Ms Sturgeon should now act more decisively to take advantage of the continued turmoil over Brexit. 

“The question should be demanded of the Westminster parties: what gives you any right to deny people in Scotland our ability to choose our own future? The Westminster refusal is not sustainable,” Ms Sturgeon told the conference in Aberdeen. 

But the SNP leader did not say what she might do if the UK government continued to refuse to grant another independence vote.

Jeremy Corbyn, UK Labour leader, has said he would not approve a Scottish plebiscite in the “formative years” of any government he forms, while senior Conservatives have ruled out allowing one before 2021 at the earliest. 

Labour’s qualified acceptance that Scotland could not be denied a second referendum showed the “cracks appearing” in Westminster intransigence, she added. [...]

Full article on Financial Times (subscription required)



© Financial Times


< Next Previous >
Key
 Hover over the blue highlighted text to view the acronym meaning
Hover over these icons for more information



Add new comment