SNP mandate for IndyRef2 a myth

Sir, – In his letter (November 19), Herbert Petrie peddles the myth that the Scottish Government was voted in on a mandate to have a second independence referendum.

This myth, frequently rehearsed by the SNP and their followers, is absolutely contrary to statements which were made by Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Secretary Alistair Jack in the run-up to the general election in 2019.

During the election campaigns, Nicola Sturgeon actually pleaded with voters to vote for the SNP even if they did not support future independence for Scotland, rather than voting for other parties. Nicola Sturgeon actually said (as reported by the BBC on December 13 2019) “she won’t pretend that every single person who voted SNP necessarily supports independence”, while Alistair Jack said in an interview with the Herald newspaper (and which was reported in the Guardian on November 2 2019) “even if the SNP won a majority of Scottish seats they would “absolutely not have a mandate” (for a second independence referendum).

In fact, the SNP did not win a majority of seats in the election. Nevertheless, since the 2019 election, true to form and their disregard for the truth, the SNP have asserted that they were given a mandate for a second independence referendum by the people of Scotland. They weren’t, and the fact that the SNP formed an unholy alliance with the Green Party in order to hold a majority of seats in Holyrood doesn’t alter the undertakings made to the voters by Nicola Sturgeon and Alistair Jack before the 2019 elections.

Keith Smith. Baillieswells Road, Aberdeen.