Indyref2: Nicola Sturgeon says refusing second referendum on Scottish independence would be ‘unsustainable’ for UK Government
Nicola Sturgeon has said it would be “unsustainable” for the UK Government to block a second vote on Scottish independence, should a majority at Holyrood back it following the May election.
Scotland’s First Minister said that the country must have the chance to put the recovery into its own hands and that “Scotland’s future must, and will, be decided by the people of Scotland”.
She also said that taking legal action over the situation would be an “appalling” look for any Prime Minister.
Ms Sturgeon has repeatedly called for another independence referendum to be held but all such requests have been rebuffed by Downing Street, first under Theresa May and then the current Government headed by Boris Johnson.
The SNP’s election manifesto has set out plans to hold a second vote on Scottish independence by the end of 2023.
Writing in the Observer, Ms Sturgeon said that once the Covid crisis has passed, people in Scotland must have the right to choose their future.
She wrote: “Tackling the pandemic and getting the recovery under way come first. However, if there is a majority in the Scottish parliament after this election for an independence referendum, then Scotland must have the chance to put the recovery into Scotland’s hands.
“For the UK Government to seek to block it would be unsustainable. For it to try to take legal action, as has been suggested, would be asking a court to effectively overturn the result of a free and fair democratic election.
“That would be an appalling look for any prime minister. More to the point, it didn’t work for Donald Trump, and it wouldn’t work for Boris Johnson.”