Sturgeon: I’m not ruling out a second Indy vote next year
First Minister branded ‘crazy’ over push for fresh divisive poll
NICOLA Sturgeon was branded ‘irresponsible and crazy’ yesterday after she refused to rule out another independence referendum as early as next year.
The First Minister stepped up her fight to tear Scotland out of the UK in a series of media interviews ahead of her party’s annual conference.
She told the BBC another referendum should be in the ‘earlier part’ of the next parliament – and said to ITV Border that she has ‘not ruled out’ demanding the vote happens next year.
But opponents attacked her claim that another vote could take place while the country is in the grip of a pandemic. Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives at Holyrood, said: ‘I think Nicola Sturgeon saying that she could well try to push through an indyref next year, even in just a few months’ time, is both irresponsible and crazy.
‘We haven’t got a single dose of the vaccine out there to get us past Covid and we need to repair the economy and we need to work across the whole UK in order to be able to do that.’
She said people will be ‘appalled’ that she is going to the SNP conference and ‘rattling the can for Indyref2’.
Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said: ‘This is reckless talk from the First Minister. It will take years for our health service and economy to recover from the pandemic.
‘Seeking to divide us with another referendum is the wrong priority, and it is not the priority of the people of Scotland. Rather than trying to tear us apart, the SNP should focus on uniting us.’
Asked on ITV Border if she intended to hold a second i ndependence referendum next year, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I’ve not put a date on it yet. I’ve not ruled that out nor have I ruled it in.
‘I think it’s right, not least because of the challenges countries face in coming out and rebuilding from Covid, that Scotland should have the opportunity to choose whether or not to become independent in the earlier rather than later part of the next parliament.’
She said she intends to put ‘a more precise timescale’ in the SNP’s manifesto for next May’s Holyrood elections.
She told BBC Scotland: ‘I think the referendum should, for a whole variety of reasons, be in the earlier part of the next parliament.
‘We are still in a global pandemic. There’s a lot of uncertainty ahead. I’m a lifelong believer and campaigner and advocate for independence, but right now I’m also the First Minister of Scotland.
‘My responsibility is to the health and wellbeing of the country and trying to steer it through a pandemic, and I’m very focused on that.’
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: ‘The SNP’s plans to divide the country all over again so soon are utterly reckless and it’ s frankly embarrassing that the SNP think this should be anyone’s priority right now.
‘Another divisive referendum is the last thing that Scotland needs. Their obsession with independence is out of control and their conference hasn’t even started yet.’
The agenda for the SNP’s conference, which starts tomorrow, does not even include a speech from Health Secretary Jeane Freeman.
Ian Murray MP, Labour’s Shadow Scottish Secretary, said: ‘In the midst of a global pandemic, you would think the SNP would find time for a keynote speech f rom the Health Secretary.’
An SNP spokesman said: ‘Conference will be opening with a resolution on health and social care, which the Health Secretary will be moving.’
‘Last thing that Scotland needs’