Despite the cost-of-living issue, Nicola Sturgeon today promised to continue her £20 million campaign for Scottish independence, urging Scots to be “responsible about their energy consumption.”
In October of next year, the First Minister plans to ask for a second referendum on leaving the UK, claiming that she has a democratic mandate to do so.
The SNP leader was asked during an interview on BBC Breakfast this morning whether the money for getting ready for a new referendum, for which around £20 million has been put aside, will be reduced in order to help people more with the cost-of-living problem.
We are discussing the current fiscal year, and she said, “I hope the independence vote will take place in the next fiscal year.”
Therefore, even if we did—which we won’t since I was elected first minister on a pledge to democracy—we wouldn’t do it because…
“I was elected to the Scottish Parliament last year with a record percentage of the vote and a record turnout. We will thus fulfill our promise to the public.
However, in a subsequent interview on BBC Radio amid concerns about blackouts, she urged Scots to be “smart about their energy consumption” this winter.
People are really concerned about energy supply over the winter, she said in an interview with the Today show.
“The UK Government is showing a lack of fundamental planning and communication.” In the context of Scotland, where we are a net exporter of power, it is especially infuriating. We produce enough clean energy to meet practically all of our home demands.
We depend on the UK Government making wise judgments since we are a member of the GB grid. I believe that people need to be given honest explanations of the difficulties we are encountering and sound advise about what we are asking them to do, something like during Covid.
In a previous referendum in 2014, Scots chose to remain a member of the UK by a 55-45 margin. The UK government would have to demand a fresh referendum, something that Liz Truss and her predecessor Boris Johnson have refused to do.
Next week, the Scottish Government will release a new document outlining its ideas for the currency and economy of an independent Scotland.
The First Minister said the document will be issued days after the party meeting and after arguments are made at the Supreme Court that might enable her Government to legislate for a second referendum at a media roundup today ahead of the SNP conference, she told BBC Radio Scotland.
The Scottish Government will update the prospectus for an independent Scotland in a number of papers, according to the First Minister earlier this year.
The specifics, according to Ms. Sturgeon on Friday, will be revealed in full when the document is released, but she did say that in the event of a yes vote, work on a Scottish central bank would start right away and that the newly independent nation would maintain the pound for “some time.”
She said on the Good Morning Scotland show that “we would start that process as soon as Scotland voted for independence” in regards to creating a central bank.
The Scottish Government would get advise from that central bank on these issues, it would act as the industry’s last-resort lender, and it would need reserves to handle these specific tasks for the first term.
We have stated—and this is my party’s position—that we would transition away from using the pound, continue to do so after independence, and switch to a Scottish pound when the economic circumstances called for it.
The First Minister said that there would be critical measures that would need to be satisfied before the shift, rather than a predetermined timeline, when asked how long it would take for Scotland to adopt the new currency.
It’s crucial that it be led by ideals rather than predetermined deadlines, she added.
The First Minister continued by saying that the economic problems the UK has been experiencing recently underscore the necessity for “responsibility” and “sound planning.”
People believe that the financial markets are abstract, yet we have experienced firsthand how losing trust in the financial markets affects real people.
“That emphasizes the need of our being diligent, being responsible, and knowing the detail of what we’re aiming to achieve as we prepare towards independence.”
The news comes as the chief legal adviser of the Scottish Government is ready to testify before the Supreme Court in a case that might give Holyrood the authority to pass legislation allowing for an independence referendum.
In the summer, the Lord Advocate sent potential independence referendum legislation to the court, requesting that justices determine whether it is within Holyrood’s purview.
Although there is no set time for the court’s decision to be made public, oral arguments will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday of the next week.
Ms. Sturgeon responded that she thought there would be enough time to pass legislation, organize a campaign, and hold the referendum on the Scottish Government’s preferred date of October 23 in 2019.