Sturgeon: I’ve time on my side ... look at the demographics
‘Distasteful, offensive, chilling’ — FM accused of suggesting deaths of older Scots will benefit SNP
NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of making ‘distasteful’ suggestions that the death of older Scots who back the Union could help deliver independence.
The First Minister’s remarks were branded ‘chilling’ yesterday after she said she has got ‘time on my side’ because of the demographics of support for independence.
She also said the coronavirus pandemic is likely to have receded sufficiently to allow her to make ‘concrete decisions’ about the timing of an independence referendum in early spring.
The comments about demographics reflect similar remarks made last year by Angus Robertson, now the SNP’s Consti
‘Comments reek of desperation’
tution Secretary, when he said 55,000 predominantly independence-supporting 16-year-olds join the electorate every year while 55,000 predominantly No-supporting older voters pass away.
In an interview with the Financial Times about her push for another referendum, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I can’t look ahead and tell you exactly how this constitutional impasse is going to resolve itself, but it will resolve itself – and it will resolve itself on the side of democracy, because actually, the alternative is pretty unthinkable.
‘I’ve got democracy on my side... if they think it’s about playing a waiting game, I’ve probably got time on my side as well. You look at the demographics of the support for independence – well, I’m not sure that’s going to get you out of this conundrum.’
Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said: ‘These appalling comments are chilling. It seems Nicola Sturgeon is implying that the independence movement will benefit from older people passing away. These comments are deeply offensive and she should apologise.’
Pamela Nash, chief executive of the Scotland in Union campaign group, said: ‘While she is less blunt, she is also making the same distasteful argument that her colleagues have repeatedly made about waiting for older Scots to die in the hope that this will deliver separation.
‘The reality is that our younger generation are more interconnected than ever and want solutions for the future that will tackle challenges like climate change, not tired old constitutional arguments from the past.’
Labour MP Ian Murray said: ‘These crass comments reek of desperation and show she has nothing to offer. No demographic changes will fix the fact they have no answers to the big questions.’
Asked if the comments were a reference to support for independence being higher among younger people, the First Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘In just about any opinion poll you care to look at support for independence among younger voters is very, very strong, there is no great mystery or surprise there.’
In the FT interview, published yesterday, Miss Sturgeon signalled she could set a specific proposed referendum date in early spring.
She said: ‘As we come out of this winter into the spring – with, I hope, a lot more certainty about the Covid situation being a bit more in the rear-view mirror – we start to take more concrete decisions around all of this.’
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: ‘The last thing Scotland needs is another divisive referendum. All of our focus should be on recovering from Covid.’