Nicola Sturgeon: Margaret Thatcher would have backed second Scottish independence referendum

Max Stephens
·3 min read
Nicola Sturgeon plans to hold a new referendum in October next year - Russell Cheyne/Pool/Getty Images
Nicola Sturgeon plans to hold a new referendum in October next year - Russell Cheyne/Pool/Getty Images

Margaret Thatcher would have supported a second Scottish independence referendum, Nicola Sturgeon has suggested, accusing Westminster of taking a “wrecking ball” to the UK.

The First Minister evoked the former prime minister in the run-up to her planned route map of a separate Scotland if Boris Johnson refuses to transfer the necessary legal powers.

On Tuesday Ms Sturgeon will outline her plans for holding a second referendum but Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, said his party would refuse to play her “games”.

Ahead of her announcement, she said: “Even previous Tory leaders, from Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May, said they believed the UK was based on the consent of the people who lived in its constituent nations.

“Westminster is taking a wrecking ball to the idea of the United Kingdom as a voluntary partnership of nations.”

Ms Sturgeon plans to hold the vote in October next year. However, there are  significant barriers in the way, with the former mandarin who helped negotiate the 2014 vote saying Downing Street has “blocked off all legal routes”.

Prof Ciaran Martin told the Herald on Sunday: “The UK Government is under no obligation to set out under what circumstances Scotland might become independent.”

He said Number 10 was “refusing to develop a policy or enter into any discussions about what such a framework might look like”, adding: “So at the moment, while in principle Scotland can become independent, in practice it can't, no matter how it votes at elections, or how often it does so.”

He claimed the UK Government “appears to be gambling on” there being no great demand for another referendum in Scotland now.

Polling suggests a clear majority of Scots oppose Ms Sturgeons timetable for a referendum next year.

Mr Ross on Sunday urged the Scottish government to focus on the "real" issues such as the cost of living, the NHS and education.

The SNP later compared his comments with those of Donald Trump, accusing him of a “shameless betrayal of democracy”.

“Denying the reality of the SNP’s 2021 election victory – which was even greater than the one of 2011 – makes him sound exactly like the former US president and his supporters,” Rona Mackay, an SNP MSP, said.

A UK government spokesman said: “Now is not the time to be talking about another referendum.

“People across Scotland rightly want and expect to see both of their governments working together with a relentless focus on the issues that matter to them, their families and communities.”

Ian Murray, the Shadow Scottish secretary, said: “This is a transparent attempt to whip up division and distract from the chaos engulfing the SNP.

“Nicola Sturgeon is in no position to lecture anyone about listening to the people of Scotland as she ignores the cost of living crisis hanging over people’s lives and ploughs ahead with a costly, unwanted and damaging referendum.”

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