SNP hits back at Blair over independence
The SNP has rejected comments made by Tony Blair in which the former prime minister claimed Scottish independence was as “foolish” as the UK leaving the EU.
The former Labour leader insisted the “last thing” Scotland needed was more constitutional uncertainty.
That prompted one senior Nationalist to respond that independence was the “opportunity to save Scotland from the damage of a Tory Brexit”. Mr Blair, who backed a Remain vote at the 2016 referendum on Brexit, claimed a potential Indyref2 should not take place “unless there is a really big groundswell of opinion for it”.
The one-time Labour leader voiced his fears that a fresh vote on independence could “fundamentally” damage the UK.
Ni cola Sturgeon has already said she wants to hold a ballot within the next two years.
The SNP leader cites Scotland being removed from the European Union against the wishes of voters nor th of the B order as grounds for another referendum, arguing this is a “material change in circumstances” from the 2014 vote.
But Mr Blair said in a newspaper interview :“I don’t think we should have one unless there really is a big groundswell of opinion for it and I don’t see that.
“To be brutally frank about it, the last thing we need at this moment is another huge dose of constitutional uncertainty, we really would start to damage ourselves fundamentally as a country.”
SNP depute leader Keith Brown said: “In 2014 Tony Blair backed the campaign which told the people of Scotland that the only way to protect their place in Europe was to reject inde - pendence.
“Five years on and that has been exposed as the myth it always was, with Scotland set to be dragged out of Europe against our will. Independence is now the opportunity to save Scotland from the damage of a Tory Brexit.”