Sturgeon in race to defuse SNP civil war
NICOLA Sturgeon has made a desperate bid for peace as the SNP civil war over independence plans threatens to spill over into the party conference.
The First Minister has slapped down critics among Nationalists, who believe she is too timid, warning a rush to a new currency would damage the economy and ‘the interests of the country as a whole’.
She had promised an announcement on a second independence referendum after Easter.
But last night, aides refused to say whether that would happen this week, ahead of the conference starting in Edinburgh on Saturday.
Many in her party believe she must now request another independence referendum, even though polls show a majority of Scots do not want one and the UK Government has made clear it would be rejected. The SNP conference will include a controversial motion in which senior party figures will argue an independent Scotland should ditch the pound and launch a new currency – but only once six economic tests have been met.
Members will complain this is too slow, with some calling for it to be established ‘as soon as practicable after independence day’.
Writing in a pro-independence newspaper yesterday, Ms Sturgeon warned against such haste.
‘We must not underplay or oversimplify the complexities and challenges involved – not least because the people of Scotland won’t believe us if we do,’ she said.
She added it was reasonable to debate timetables but ‘it is another thing to suggest the process should not be governed by any tests at all or that there should be no objective input from the [planned] independent central bank.
‘To do so would be tantamount to telling people we will press ahead regardless of our state of preparedness, or the state of the economy, or the interests of the country.’
The Tories accused the SNP’s independence obsession of damaging Scotland, after figures showed that the number of pupils leaving school with no qualifications had risen sharply.
Scottish Tory interim leader Jackson Carlaw said: ‘It is a complete disgrace and a stain on the SNP Government’s handling of our schools system. Nicola Sturgeon said education would be her number one priority – and yet here she is today, once again ignoring the mess she’s made of our schools, dreaming up a new currency plan that hardly anybody wants.’
He added: ‘It is depressing but not surprising that, ahead of the SNP conference, Nicola Sturgeon is once again focusing on her plans for independence rather than the key challenges Scotland faces.’
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: ‘This currency debate is a distraction from the serious problems Scotland faces – a lowpay economy, exhausted public services and one in four children living in poverty.
‘Leaving the UK would lead to unprecedented levels of austerity for Scotland’s public services. Each currency option the First Minister has tried makes that worse.’
‘A distraction from the problems Scotland faces’