The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
‘Sturgeon won’t call indyref 2 soon as she won’t win’
Politics: Darling dismisses plans
Alistair Darling has said he does not believe that Nicola Sturgeon will hold a second independence referendum “any time soon” because she does not think she would win.
Mr Darling, who led the Better Together campaign in the 2014 referendum, said talking about the constitution was a “smokescreen” distraction.
The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on a new draft Referendum Bill, with Ms Sturgeon insisting that voters north of the border should be given the chance to consider the issue afresh after the Brexit vote.
While the UK narrowly voted to leave the EU, almost two-thirds of Scots who took part in the ballot wanted to remain part of the bloc.
Downing Street has insisted that the Holyrood government has no mandate for a second referendum after independence was rejected in 2014. Ms Sturgeon has said Scots should have the ability to reconsider the independence issue in light of the vote for Brexit, and to do so before the UK leaves the EU.
However, Mr Darling said he does not believe Ms Sturgeon will trigger a second independence vote soon.
The former chancellor said: “I think everybody knows that if she thought she could win a referendum now she would hold a referendum tomorrow.
“I don’t think she will hold a referendum any time soon because she doesn’t think shecanwinit. So why not get on with what she was elected to do and govern Scotland?”
Prime Minister Theresa Maywill host the leaders of Scotland, Wales andNorthern Ireland today to discuss the Brexit process. The Joint Ministerial Commit- tee (JMC) will meet for the first time since the European Union referendum.
The Scottish first minister has warned Theresa May that if her demands are not met and the UK pursues a so-called “hard Brexit”, she will call a sec- ond independence referendum. And Former first minister Alex Salmond said: “Unless Theresa May is prepared to listen and to accept the plan that Nicola Sturgeon is putting forward there will be another independence referendum in about two years’ time.”