Sturgeon in denial

We all know that nicola Sturgeon had to wax loud and long about a referendum when addressing her troops. Some, at least, are restless and require to be assured that she will stage a referendum imminently.

She can bloviate about this as much as she likes because she knows that there is no risk of her having to make good her demands.

the Prime Minister has told her – again – that now is not the time.

as the constitution is reserved to Westminster, there is nothing Miss Sturgeon can do about it, other than complain, because she leads a devolved administration and does not have the authority to call a referendum that would have legal status.

any other kind of referendum would have no legitimacy, with half of the population – and, no doubt, municipal officials such as returning officers – refusing to take part. no foreign country would recognise any separatist ‘victory’ in such a farce.

I wish the Westminster government would tell Miss Sturgeon in unequivocal terms what the situation is: she wants to break up the UK, because that is what she wants. It is an obsession from her childhood, a King Charles’s head.

Which other european country allows its constituent parts to choose to leave it? We know that Spain doesn’t. But do Italy, france, germany allow secession? are the hungarians in transylvania allowed to leave romania and join hungary? no, they are not. Scotland leaving the UK would be bad for the UK but disastrous for Scotland.

the sooner Miss Sturgeon publicly acknowledges that – instead of foolishly denying it, in public, at least – the better that will be for all of us.

JILL StepHeNSoN, edinburgh.