I hope to lead Scotland to independence: Sturgeon

LONDON: The Scotish National Party ( SNP) on Sunday said its landslide victory in Edinburgh’s devolved parliament was grounds for a fresh independence referendum, despite opposition from London.

While the SNP campaigned on promises to hold a new vote, the UK government — which would need to give formal legal permission — is opposed, raising fears of a protracted political and legal batle.

Now the nationalists say their slightly increased share of seats, one short of an overall majority of 65, gives them a mandate for “indyref2,” so called ater the “no” vote in Scotland’s first independence vote in 2014.

Scotish media stressed the SNP’S strong showing, with The Herald on Sunday headlining its front page simply with the word “Landslide.”

But Uk-wide newspapers had a different take, as The Sunday Telegraph declared “Sturgeon falls short of majority.” SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said in her victory speech that Westminster now has “no democratic justification” to deny a second independence referendum.

“I hope to lead Scotland to independence,” she told the BBC on Sunday.

She said that it would be “absurd and completely outrageous” for the referendum to lead to a legal wrangle in the Supreme Court, as could happen if Westminster blocked it and the

Scotish parliament passed its own legislation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the 2014 referendum where 55 per cent voted “no” should be a once in a generation event.

Johnson said on Saturday that the SNP’S aim of a second referendum was “irresponsible and reckless” while he wrote a public leter to Sturgeon asking her to “work together” in “Team UK.”