This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/uk/513484-nicola-sturgeon-scottish-independence/
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| In outright defiance of UK PM, Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon's party promises second independence referendum after pandemic | In outright defiance of UK PM, Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon's party promises second independence referendum after pandemic |
| (7 months later) | |
| Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is standing by her threat to hold a fresh referendum on independence if her party wins the May elections, despite Boris Johnson saying another one should not take place until at least 2055. | Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is standing by her threat to hold a fresh referendum on independence if her party wins the May elections, despite Boris Johnson saying another one should not take place until at least 2055. |
| Sturgeon likened UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to a “cowering tim'rous beastie” – a line from the poem 'To a Mouse', about a scared mouse, by Scotland's national poet Robert Burns – during an interview with the BBC on Sunday. The Scottish leader also accused Johnson of being “frightened of democracy” by opposing another Scottish referendum until at least 2055 – just over 40 years after the last referendum in 2014, when a 55 percent majority of Scots voted against independence. | Sturgeon likened UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to a “cowering tim'rous beastie” – a line from the poem 'To a Mouse', about a scared mouse, by Scotland's national poet Robert Burns – during an interview with the BBC on Sunday. The Scottish leader also accused Johnson of being “frightened of democracy” by opposing another Scottish referendum until at least 2055 – just over 40 years after the last referendum in 2014, when a 55 percent majority of Scots voted against independence. |
| “The polls now show that a majority of people in Scotland want independence,” Sturgeon declared, adding, “If the SNP win the Scottish election in a few months' time on a proposition of giving people that choice, then what democrat could rightly stand in the way of that?” | “The polls now show that a majority of people in Scotland want independence,” Sturgeon declared, adding, “If the SNP win the Scottish election in a few months' time on a proposition of giving people that choice, then what democrat could rightly stand in the way of that?” |
| She added, “Boris Johnson clearly just fears the verdict and the will of the Scottish people.” | She added, “Boris Johnson clearly just fears the verdict and the will of the Scottish people.” |
| Various polls have repeatedly showed that a majority of Scots now support independence, with the most recent placing the number at around 52 percent. It was the 20th poll in a row to show that a majority of Scots support independence. | Various polls have repeatedly showed that a majority of Scots now support independence, with the most recent placing the number at around 52 percent. It was the 20th poll in a row to show that a majority of Scots support independence. |
| On Saturday, the SNP revealed in its “roadmap to a referendum” that a draft independence referendum bill “would be enacted if an SNP Scottish Government is re-elected with a majority to do so” in the May 2021 elections. The party claimed that such a referendum would be beyond any “legal challenge” from the UK government, though it stressed that any referendum would only be held after the Covid-19 pandemic. | On Saturday, the SNP revealed in its “roadmap to a referendum” that a draft independence referendum bill “would be enacted if an SNP Scottish Government is re-elected with a majority to do so” in the May 2021 elections. The party claimed that such a referendum would be beyond any “legal challenge” from the UK government, though it stressed that any referendum would only be held after the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| “If the SNP takes office the Scottish Government will again request a Section 30 order from the UK Government believing and publicly contending that in such circumstances there could be no moral or democratic justification for denying that request,” the roadmap declared, warning, “If the UK Government were to adopt such a position its position would be unsustainable both at home and abroad.” | “If the SNP takes office the Scottish Government will again request a Section 30 order from the UK Government believing and publicly contending that in such circumstances there could be no moral or democratic justification for denying that request,” the roadmap declared, warning, “If the UK Government were to adopt such a position its position would be unsustainable both at home and abroad.” |
| As explained by the UK Parliament website, a Section 30 order from the Scotland Act 1998 can “grant legislative authority to the Scottish Parliament in certain areas,” either temporarily or permanently, independently from the UK government. | As explained by the UK Parliament website, a Section 30 order from the Scotland Act 1998 can “grant legislative authority to the Scottish Parliament in certain areas,” either temporarily or permanently, independently from the UK government. |
| Johnson and his government have vocally opposed Sturgeon's campaign, however, drafting up their own five-point plan to counter support for Scottish independence. | Johnson and his government have vocally opposed Sturgeon's campaign, however, drafting up their own five-point plan to counter support for Scottish independence. |
| “Referendums in my experience, direct experience, in this country are not particularly jolly events,”said Johnson earlier this month. “They don't have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once-in-a-generation.” | “Referendums in my experience, direct experience, in this country are not particularly jolly events,”said Johnson earlier this month. “They don't have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once-in-a-generation.” |
| Johnson justified the UK's independence from the European Union by pointing out that the referendum in 2016 was decades after the previous referendum in 1975 – a significantly longer time gap than Scotland's seven years between 2014 and 2021. | Johnson justified the UK's independence from the European Union by pointing out that the referendum in 2016 was decades after the previous referendum in 1975 – a significantly longer time gap than Scotland's seven years between 2014 and 2021. |
| If you like this story, share it with a friend! | If you like this story, share it with a friend! |
| Dear readers and commenters, | |
| We have implemented a new engine for our comment section. We hope the transition goes smoothly for all of you. Unfortunately, the comments made before the change have been lost due to a technical problem. We are working on restoring them, and hoping to see you fill up the comment section with new ones. You should still be able to log in to comment using your social-media profiles, but if you signed up under an RT profile before, you are invited to create a new profile with the new commenting system. | |
| Sorry for the inconvenience, and looking forward to your future comments, | |
| RT Team. |