STURGEON: I’LL FILL IN THE BLANKS
Sturgeon to lay out plans for currency, economy and Europe before voters decide
NICOLA Sturgeon promised to fill in the blanks on her plans for independence as she made the case for a second referendum at Holyrood.
The First Minister moved to reassure swithering No supporters at the start of an angry two-day debate, which will end with a vote tonight.
Sturgeon has been under intense pressure to explain glaring omissions from the proposal on currency and the economy since 2014.
Scotland’s deficit stood at a worrying £15billion according to the last official figures – far higher than in troubled Greece.
And the SNP have been unable to confirm whether an independent Scotland would keep the pound, start a new currency or adopt the euro.
Sturgeon said tonight’s vote to begin the legal process of a referendum is only the start.
She was speaking eight days after the shock announcement to press ahead with plans for IndyRef2, when she said voters should have a choice before Scotland leaves the EU in spring 2019.
Yesterday, Sturgeon said: “The people of Scotland need to know the terms of Brexit and be in a position to make an assessment of the pros and cons before making that choice.
“And it also means they need to understand the implications and opportunities of independence – whether on the economy, currency, Europe or the many other matters that people have questions about.
“Those of us who advocate independence have a responsibility to consider a range of issues in light of the changed circumstances brought about by Brexit – circumstances we did not choose to be in – and then present that information in a clear way.
“That is exactly what we will do, and we will do so in good time to allow scrutiny and debate well in advance of a referendum that is, at the earliest, 18 months away. And, by doing so, we will allow people to make a genuinely informed choice between being taken down a hard Brexit path or becoming an independent country, able to chart our own course.”
With Green Party support, tonight’s vote will rubberstamp her referendum demand.
Prime Minister Theresa May has ruled out any re-run before Scotland leaves the EU with the rest of the UK – and Sturgeon would need a Section 30 order from the PM to run a legal referendum.
Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson rejected Sturgeon’s proposal and insisted Scots should wait and see what Brexit means.
But Davidson admitted she has no idea what quitting the EU will do to the economy.
She said: “None of us know how it will play out, none of us know
how we will come through this, and none of us know what impact there will be on our country.
“Which is exactly why we question how we can make a decision on our future constitutional path at a time of such uncertainty.
“Why start an independence referendum campaign now, at this very moment, when the process of leaving the EU is only just beginning?
“Why ask the people of Scotland to choose our future when they have not had the chance to see it playing out?”
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said her party will never support independence on her watch. She said: “I wish this was the start of a two-day debate on education in Scotland.
“We could focus on the need to close the attainment gap, put forward proposals for giving young people the best chance in life.
“We could come up with innovative ways to lift 260,000 Scottish children out of poverty. But instead we are back talking about the only thing that has ever really mattered to the SNP.”
Greens leader Patrick Harvie faced unionist anger for backing the SNP even though his party manifesto promised no vote without clear public support.
But he hit back: “It is absurd to suggest that we should not respond to and react to the fundamentally changed circumstances we now find ourselves in. The situation is changed not only by the EU referendum but by everything the UK Government have done with it.”
Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: “Division with Europe is not resolved by division in the UK. The response to hard Conservative Brexit is not hard SNP independence.
“We do not mount chaos on to chaos of Brexit with the chaos of independence. We do not respond with a break from Europe with a break from the UK.”
We will allow people to make a genuinely informed choice NICOLA STURGEON