The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
sturgeon ‘miscalculated the mood’ over Indyref2
The SNP leader was challenged by Question Time audience over her party’s domestic record ahead of Thursday’s general election
Nicola Sturgeon refused to dispute a claim she misjudged the mood on a second independence referendum during hostile questioning on television.
The SNP leader appeared on BBC Question Time last night on the day her helicopter tour of Scotland took her to Levenmouth, in the hotly-contested constituency of North East Fife.
She was confronted by several members of the audience, one of whom accused her of a “hopeless” domestic record as she was repeatedly challenged over education standards in Scotland.
She was invited to admit she had “miscalculated the mood of Scotland by calling another independence referendum”.
Ms Sturgeon did not challenge that statement and said her call for another referendum was based on what she thought was best for Scotland.
“Sometimes in politics you have to do what you think is right,” she said.
“Don’t get me wrong, all politicians make calculations and tactical calculations, but sometimes you have to be guided by principle.
“My position on this is reasonably straight forward when you strip it all away.
“We face not just Brexit, but perhaps a very extreme form of Brexit that could have implications and consequences for life in Scotland for generations to come.”
She added: “When we get to the end of that Brexit process and we can see what the implications are for the future of the country we should have a choice (on independence).”
Ms Sturgeon said the day after the EU referendum that another independence poll was “highly likely”.
But the opinion polls have not shifted in favour of independence as many predicted, after the pro-EU vote in Scotland was wiped out by Leave votes in England and Wales.
In a section of the debate that largely focused on the SNP’s domestic record, Ms Sturgeon said the upcoming election was about holding the Tories to account.
“It is no longer inevitable, in my view, that Theresa May gets a bigger majority,” she said.
“And that’s a choice for Scotland. Do we vote for MPs that stop Theresa May increasing her majority or not?”
She added the Tories are “shaping up” to sell out Scottish fishermen during Brexit negotiations.
Responding to her performance on Question Time, Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East Ross Thomson said: “Once again, we’ve seen the First Minister taken to task on her party’s dreadful record on education.
“She struggled once again to explain why, after 10 years in government, standards in our schools have slipped so badly.
“The reason is this SNP Government has spent 10 years obsessing about independence.”
Scottish Labour general election campaign manager James Kelly said it was a “tough night” for the First Minister.
“No wonder Nicola Sturgeon spends so much time up in her helicopter, because when she comes into contact with the ordinary people of Scotland it becomes clear that the majority don’t want another divisive independence referendum,” he said.
Earlier in the BBC2 show, which was hosted by Nick Robinson, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron was quizzed again on his stance on gay sex or abortion, saying he does not believe either is a sin.
He added: “I’m not running to be Pope – I’m a political leader not a religious one.”
Earlier, Ms Sturgeon said SNP MPs could potentially deny Theresa May and the “arrogant” Tories a majority on Thursday.
Ms Sturgeon described the election, which Mrs May called in a bid to increase the Tory majority at Westminster, as an “opportunity to make a positive statement about the kind of country we want Scotland to be”.
As she campaigned in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, the First Minister said: “There is a possibility as we see the polls narrow that we could deny Theresa May a majority, and certainly deny her a bigger majority, which is why she called this election.
“There’s no doubt with polls narrowing in the rest of the UK whether or not Theresa May gets a majority, or a bigger majority, could come down to the outcome in Scotland.”