Should there be an Indyref2 in 2023? - your views online

Preparations for independence have restarted as Scotland recovers from Covid, the Scottish Government has said.

Lewis Mickel

Just another expensive knock back. The money could be better spent.

June Campbell

Absolutely not, give it a rest. We are just out of Covid and she thinks this is the most important thing we need to consider. Quick enough to take money from Westminster during Covid. Shame on her and her party.

Janette Gallacher

Fix the problems in Scotland instead of wasting money on that we voted ‘No’ for.

Alan Thomson

It should not be held in 2023 or at all. The last one was a grave mistake which has had a dreadful impact on the socioeconomic situation in Scotland ever since. Thankfully the UK government are unlikely to make the same mistake again. Canada discovered the need to prevent their neverendum from further ruining the Quebec economy. The UK needs to learn from that by taking similar steps to end it here.

Neil Potter

Such an utter bore. Dealt with in 2014 and the separatists lost. Move on.

Mark Ewing

Tell her to give it a rest. More things to worry about - NHS, schools, helping the hospitality sector get back on track.

James Forsyth

The country has spent millions on Covid, now she wants to spend more millions on a no-goer. Let’s get the country back on its feet. She should be thinking about the business that has been lost over the last two years and get the economy back up to speed before she starts blowing of about independence. It was bombed out last time around – the majority don’t want it, so give it up.

Mark Snedden

She has no remit or power to hold or decide when or if another independence referendum should be held. She needs to realise this and stop overstepping the mark. If she focused on improving things in Scotland, perhaps she would be taken slightly more seriously. Change the record, it’s getting very boring going over old ground again.

Margaret Bishop

Yes I want independance, but not to rejoin the EU. You don't want Westminster telling you what to do but are happy for the EU to.

Stewart Dredge

Scotland has been the victim of Westminster austerity cuts for the last decade, which has been an utter failure, failing to eliminate the UK government deficit or cut the eye-watering debt even before the pandemic. Scotland needs to find its own solutions rather than being tied into the Westminster fiasco. The UK is fast becoming a failed state and Scotland needs to adopt a more Scandinavian approach.

Alan Reynolds

The Scottish electorate continue to vote for the party with a referendum in their winning manifesto. It's simple democracy. It does seem bizzare the amount of self-loathing from some 'Scots'.

Jason Andrew Black

The country is bad enough as it is without making the problem worse. Our schools, hospitals and all local authorities are under so much pressure with these clowns in control. If there was no backing from the UK Government this country would be bankrupt in a year or two. Oil owned by another country, Scottish Power electric owned by an outside company, so where does our revenue come from?

Poverty report

Call for ‘urgent’ action as report reveal half of Scottish children have experienced poverty in past 12 years

Ally Middleton

Relative poverty is judged as people below 60 per cent of median household income. If a household's income increased by £1 and they went above that threshold they're deemed as having been "lifted from poverty". Also doesn't take into account quality of life etc - people in relative poverty now would be wealthy compared to the poor of the 1970s.

Ian Hodgson

We were all brought up in poverty in the 70s; nowadays they’re in poverty if they don’t have an Apple Watch or iPad.

Jamie Ofarrell

You can't keep cutting the Scottish budget then expect them to keep mitigating Westminsters cuts. Independence is the only way forward.

Steven Pegler-Gault

Only got Tory government to blame for that. Want to know where Scotland's wealth has gone – look at London's skyline.

Willie Walker KT

Then the social workers move in and try to grab your kids because of poverty, the whole system needs overhauled. Even in Joseph Rowantree’s time it was rife – we are currently going backwards.

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