Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the Scottish National Party, will officially launch a new campaign for independence today, as she looks to build momentum toward her goal of holding a second referendum next year.
At Bute House in Edinburgh, where she will present alongside Holyrood minister and Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie, the first of a series of papers titled ‘Building a New Scotland.’
Ms Sturgeon was asked in an interview yesterday if today’s showcase event signals the official start of an indyref2 campaign. ‘Yes,’ said the first minister. She went on to say that today’s first paper will be a “scene-setter.”
‘Had we known in 2014 everything we know now about the path the UK would have taken, I’ve got no doubt Scotland would have voted Yes back then,’ she said of Brexit ot BBC.
However, political opponents have already criticized the plan, with Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron calling it “nothing short of shameful” in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
He said that ‘Nicola Sturgeon is ignoring Scotland’s priorities to push ahead with plans for a second divisive independence referendum in 2023. The vast majority of Scottish people don’t want the distraction of another referendum next year.
‘They want the government focused on our recovery from the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, supporting our NHS and protecting jobs.
‘Yet Nicola Sturgeon is recklessly pressing ahead with her obsession anyway. This is nothing short of shameful when the country is facing so many momentous challenges.’
‘Nicola Sturgeon has launched more independence campaigns than ferries,’ said Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.
Ms Sturgeon stated that the papers will create a ‘updated independence prospectus,’ examining issues such as currency, defense, and EU membership.
She asserted that they would ‘set out the challenges a newly independent Scotland would face’ but would also show the way to a wealthier and fairer nation.
Despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pledge to stop another referendum, the SNP leader is determined to hold the poll by the end of next year.
As the SNP and Scottish Greens, both pro-independence parties, secured a majority in last year’s Holyrood election, the first minister believes her plans are a “matter of fundamental democratic principle.”
She did, however, agree that conducting a vote without Westminster’s permission could be troublesome. ‘That is the issue we are currently navigating so we can deliver a lawful process,’ she said.