Sturgeon’s new Scottish independence bid – with plans to ditch the pound
NICOLA Sturgeon was last night poised to launch a fresh bid to break up Britain – despite a poll showing support for Scottish independence has slumped to 30 per cent. The SNP leader said she was ready to ‘restart’ the debate over Scotland’s future if she does not like the Brexit deal negotiated by Theresa May.
The SNP is also set to announce plans to ditch the pound.
The move came as a survey for think- tank Policy Exchange found most voters are in favour of the Union but believe Brexit has made the break-up of the UK more likely.
In England, 68 per cent of adults backed the UK status quo followed by 66 per cent in Wales, 59 per cent in Northern Ireland and 52 per cent in Scotland, according to the ICM research. Just 30 per cent of Scots said they were opposed to the Union in its current form – far below the 45 per cent who backed independence in 2014.
But across the four nations, up to six out of 10 voters said Britain’s exit from the EU had increased the prospect of the UK splitting up.
Diehard Remainers have tried to exploit fears about Northern Ireland to keep the UK in a customs union with the EU and prevent a so- called ‘ hard border’ with the south. However, the new poll suggests support for a united Britain remains strong in the Province.
While 59 per cent said they support the current arrangements, just 23 per cent said they were opposed.
‘The plan is wholly unworkable’
However, the survey found 60 per cent of people in Northern Ireland thought Brexit made the break-up of the Union more likely.
First Minister Miss Sturgeon believes Brexit will boost her hopes of persuading Scots to back independence. Later this week she will publish the SNP’s Growth Commission report on the economic case for breaking away from the UK.
It is expected to suggest that an independent Scotland would initially use the pound without being part of a currency union – even though it could mean having no say on key issues like interest rates.
It would then switch to a separate Scottish currency at some point in the future. Murdo Fraser, finance spokesman for the Scottish Con- servatives, said: ‘The plan to create a Scottish pound is wholly unworkable, and would be deeply damaging to our businesses trading with the rest of the UK.’
Yesterday the First Minister told ITV: ‘I’ve said that once we get some clarity – which hopefully we will in the autumn of this year – about the Brexit outcome and the future relationship between the UK and the EU then I will consider again this issue of the timing of an independence referendum.
‘Over the next couple of weeks we will, I suppose, restart a debate about why independence for Scotland is an opportunity and what those opportunities are.’
Her comments came ahead of a major conference on the Union today, which will be addressed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove, DUP leader Arlene Foster and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson.
Yesterday, Miss Davidson called for the UK to become less Londoncentric to protect the Union.
She said major institutions – such as the British Museum – should consider setting up elsewhere in the UK, and suggested that new bodies created as a result of Brexit to regulate areas such as fishing should be based outside the capital.
Miss Davidson warned that it would be ‘foolish’ to think the threat of separation has gone away.