The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Election real test for nationalists
Sir, - Nicola Sturgeon is to be commended for her honesty.
If the SNP wins the general election in Scotland, she claims her pitch is strengthened for a second separation referendum.
But will the ballot box reward such honesty?
You’d be forgiven for thinking the SNP is always the party of independence. But no.
At the 2015 general election, separatism was airbrushed out of the campaign.
Then, immediately after the result, Ms Sturgeon threatened another referendum if David Cameron didn’t cave into her every demand.
The nationalist leader has spent 10 months since the EU referendum using Brexit as a smokescreen for attempting to stage a second referendum yet during the Holyrood election, Ms Sturgeon insisted education was her priority.
The SNP will indeed win in Scotland if we solely judge winning as meaning holding on to the majority of seats.
But the loss of a few constituencies and, more crucially, a drop in SNP votes to below the nearly 50% achieved in 2015 or even 2014’s 45% will be worrying for Ms Sturgeon.
Hiding behind the Stronger For Scotland banner has previously won the SNP votes.
But this time round with, for once, independence playing centre stage in the nationalist campaign, will Scots’ enthusiasm for the SNP be more than slightly dented? Martin Redfern. Merchiston Gardens, Edinburgh.