EWAN BACKS INDY PUSH
Star Wars actor says Brexit changed his mind on Union
Ewan McGregor has come out in support for Scottish independence after claiming the Brexit vote changed his mind.
The movie star revealed his change of heart while appearing via video chat on the USA show Real Time With Bill Maher.
The Trainspotting actor said: “I was always for keeping the Union, I think it worked, it works.
“Then after the Brexit vote, I think for sure
I’ve changed my tune about it.
“I think Scotland has been voting for a government that they haven’t been given for years. We’re a very left-voting country, Scotland and we’ve been under Conservative rule for years.”
McGregor, originally from Perth, spoke out against independence at the 2014 referendum.
But he then later admitted to being “totally confused” about his stance as a result of Brexit.
He said he was in Scotland filming movie T2: Trainspotting in 2016 when the Brexit vote took place.
After seeing the map of the areas that wanted to remain in the EU and the areas that wanted to leave the EU, he said: “I thought, ‘ That’s it, you know. The Scottish people want to stay in the European Union and the English don’t.’
“So I just think, I think probably it’s time. I think probably it’s time.”
The 49-year-old now joins fellow Scots actors Sean Connery and Alan Cumming supporting independence.
The dad of four is best known for playing Mark Renton in the Trainspotting films, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new Star Wars movies.
He told BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show that he tried hard to stay out of the independence debate in 2014.
He said: “The truth is I didn’t want Scotland to be independent in 2014.
“I didn’t understand how it was going to work. I was worried Scotland would flounder if it was on its own and I believed in the Union and I felt like we were stronger together.”
He told how he was filming in Scotland when the EU referendum results came in and had been telling colleagues the count would swing back in favour of Remain.
He said: “By the time I got home, I switched the TV on and there’s Farage doing his victory speech. I thought, ‘He’s made a mistake, he’s going to be embarrassed because he’s announced victory too soon.’”