Scotland all set for election
Sturgeon eyes win to set nation on road to independence
Edinburgh: Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon goes into elections hoping victory will set the nation on the road to independence, but will have to overcome infighting and opposition in London.
The 50-year-old has become the pre-eminent force in Scottish politics, earning a reputation for assured leadership since becoming first minister in the country’s devolved government in 2014.
She has earned points among voters for her management of the coronavirus pandemic.
Her clear communication style is cast by her supporters in contrast to mixed messages emanating from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the health crisis.
But what should have been a smooth build-up to the elections on Thursday has been overshadowed by months of mudslinging between Sturgeon and Alex Salmond, her former mentor and predecessor as first minister.
The spectacular falling out between the pair over the handling of sexual harassment claims against Salmond has seen Sturgeon facing questions over her judgement and her reputation for attention to detail.
Disagreements between the two political heavyweights reverberated into the election campaign and threatened to split the independence movement, with Salmond forming his own pro-independence party called Alba.
Sturgeon’s SNP looks set to dominate at the ballot box, with one Ipsos Mori poll showing it on course to win 70 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament.
But questions remain over whether Scots will back independence in a referendum after all the infighting, with a string of surveys showing waning popular support for breaking away from the United Kingdom.
Nevertheless, Sturgeon said at the launch of her manifesto earlier in April that Johnson would have no “moral justification” to prevent a second vote on independence if the SNP emerges on top on Thursday.
The UK prime minister must approve the referendum, and has routinely ruled out a second one after Scottish voters rejected independence in 2014.
As the law stands, to hold another referendum legally, Scotland needs the permission of the British parliament, but the SNP could decide to challenge this by holding one anyway and force the British government to challenge it in the courts.