KEEP THE HEID
First Minister calls for mutual respect as debate around IndyRef2 heats up
NICOLA Sturgeon has called on supporters to keep calm as Scotland “once again faces a time of intense political debate”.
The First Minister has promised to “lead by example” in her push for IndyRef2.
NICOLA Sturgeon last night tried to quell concerns about IndyRef2 by urging her supporters to treat opponents with respect.
The First Minister admitted her decision to push for another vote on the constitution means Scotland “once again faces a time of intense political debate”.
But she promised to “lead by example” to make sure the fresh case for independence is made with “courtesy, empathy and respect”.
The vow follows accusations Sturgeon is reopening the independence question just as divisions caused by the first vote are beginning to heal.
Critics say the first referendum turned friends and family against each other.
A poll carried out for the Daily Record just after the September 2014 vote revealed as many as a quarter of a million Scots thought their relationship with a friend or family member had been permanently damaged by independence arguments.
Speaking at the annual conference of the Political Studies Association in Glasgow last night, Sturgeon insisted the referendum was a “very positive experience for Scotland”.
But she added: “One consequence of a referendum is that it requires a binary choice – a yes or a no – from people who have nuanced or even conflicting views about something which matters deeply to them.
“All people in Scotland want the best for their own families and communities and for their country.
“So the debate needs to respect that fact. We need to recognise the honesty and validity of people’s anxieties.
“As First Minister, I promise to lead by example. After all, the Scottish Government has a special responsibility to build consensus where we can.”
But Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “It’s welcome Nicola Sturgeon has finally accepted the referendum was divisive.
“The question for her now is why she would want to put Scotland through that all over again?”
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie added: “Families and communities across Scotland are still damaged by the division of the last independence referendum.”