Sturgeon: Why I’ll call referendum II
First Minister’s ‘once in a generation’ pledge may now mean just f ive years
NICOLA Sturgeon has revealed that she is drawing up plans to hold another independence referendum – just one year after Scotland voted decisively to stay in the UK.
The SNP leader has disclosed for the first time that her manifesto for next year’s Scottish elections will include details of the ‘circumstances and the timescale’ for another separation poll.
Her comments mean Scotland is again facing the prospect of its future in the UK being thrown into doubt – even though 55 per cent of Scots voted No to independence last September. Miss Sturgeon made the comments ahead of the one-year anniversary of the historic poll later this week. Previously, she had promised that the independence referendum would be a ‘once in a generation opportunity’.
A new YouGov poll published yesterday showed an increase in support for independence since last year. Despite this, 52 per cent of Scots would still vote No, while 48 per cent would vote Yes. A clear 59 per cent of Scots – including one in three of all SNP voters – say the party should not promise to hold another referendum in next year’s manifesto, and only 29 per cent of Scots think there should be another poll in the next few years.
Despite pledging that a second referendum will be mentioned in next year’s SNP manifesto, Miss Sturgeon has stopped short of guaranteeing there will be another poll if her party is again elected to power at Holyrood.
Speaking yesterday, she said: ‘Our manifesto will set out what we consider are the circumstances and the timescale on which a second referendum might be appropriate, but we can only propose.
‘It’s then for people in Scotland, whether it is in this election or in future elections, to decide whether they want to vote for our manifesto and then, if there is in the future another independence referendum, whether that’s in five years or ten years or whenever, it will be down to the people of Scotland to decide whether they want to vote for independence or not. So at every single stage this is something that is driven by and decided by the people of Scotland, not politicians.’
Among the ‘circumstances’ that she believes could trigger an independence referendum is Britain voting to leave the European Union despite a majority of Scots voting to stay.
But she also hinted that issues such as the renewal of Trident or further austerity could spark demand for another referendum.
Yesterday’s poll, published in The Times, showed that five per cent of all No voters say they wish they had voted differently in last year’s referendum, compared to just one per cent of Yes voters.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘It doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that support for independence has risen in the past year. We’ve seen a Conservative Government renege on its promises on more powers, we’ve seen them continue to impose austerity on the most vulnerable, George Osborne arrogantly pressing ahead with investment to support the renewal of Trident, even though the House of Commons hasn’t decided to renew Trident, our membership of the European Union being jeopardised.’
In a separate interview to be broadcast as part of an STV documentary tomorrow night, Miss Sturgeon said she was ‘grief-stricken’ after it became apparent that Scots had rejected the SNP’s separation plan last year.
And, in a sign that she will closely watch polls in the coming weeks before deciding what to say on the timescale of a second referendum, she added: ‘If we are going to have another independence referendum, I want to know there is support in Scotland for independence that means that referendum is going to be successful.’
Yesterday’s poll showed that Scots want Miss Sturgeon to stick to her previous commitment that the independence referendum would be a ‘once in a generation’ event.
Four in ten Scots agreed the referendum should be a ‘once in a generation event’, while a further 24 per cent agreed that it should be once in a generation but that it could be sooner if ‘the political situation changes’. Only 29 per cent said the referendum should not be a once in a generation event and should happen sooner.
In today’s Scottish Mail on Sunday, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson challenges Miss Sturgeon to stick to her word and rule out a referendum in the next term of parliament, saying: ‘As the governing party in Scotland, the SNP needs to remember the whole of Scotland, not just its supporters.
‘It should be good to its word. Referenda are once in a generation events. That’s the message Nicola Sturgeon gave last year and I believe she should be held to her own account.
‘So this week, as we mark the first anniversary, I will be calling on her to simply repeat her own words: that the referendum truly was an event to be held once in a generation. No slippery phrases, no escape clauses: she just needs to say it plainly. A clear, unequivocal statement from the SNP would give Scottish families, and Scottish businesses, confidence and certainty that the events of last year are settled.’
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: ‘People who regretted the divisive nature of referendum and thought that democracy counted will be disappointed that Nicola Sturgeon is putting another referendum as a priority in her manifesto.’
‘Our manifesto will set out the timescale’