Nicola Sturgeon is slammed over independence ‘circus’ during bruising Scots election debate as she refuses to put referendum on hold for Covid recovery
- Nicola Sturgeon had another rough ride in the latest Scots election debate
- SNP leader insists that she will push ahead with independence referendum drive
- She was criticised for rushing to hold the vote during the Covid recovery phase
Nicola Sturgeon came under fire over her separatist ‘circus’ during the latest bruising Scotitsh election TV debate.
The SNP leader made clear she has no intention of putting her referendum drive on hold for the coronavirus recovery.
In the latest clashes on Channel 4 last night, she confirmed she wants a rerun of the divisive 2014 vote within two-and-a-half years.
But she was heavily criticised by opponents for rushing to hold the vote during the recovery phase.
She was also accused of hypocrisy after attacking the Tories for sleaze when her party has been embroiled in scandals.
In the latest clashes on Channel 4 last night, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed she wants a rerun of the divisive 2014 referendum within two-and-a-half years
The SNP leader made clear she has no intention of putting her referendum drive on hold for the coronavirus recovery
When questioned about why she had failed to provide an economic analysis of independence despite planning another referendum, Miss Sturgeon said she had put all preparations on hold to allow her to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.
Host Krishnan Guru-Murthy said: ‘So delay the referendum. If you have put everything on hold why haven’t you said we are going to put the referendum on hold?’
Ms Sturgeon said: ‘I am not planning a referendum immediately. I’ve said… we should have the right to choose.
‘Just as we did in 2014, completely different to the Brexit referendum, we put forward a prospectus saying what independence meant, what the challenges would be. We will do that again.’
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon has just confirmed that she will set out the plans to hold another independence referendum if the SNP get a majority [and] that another referendum could be held in the first two years.
‘So when we should be focused on recovery and rebuilding, Nicola Sturgeon has just accepted that government officials’ time and resources will be spent drafting up a case for another independence referendum. That is reckless, it would put jobs at risk, it would put our recovery at risk.’
Ms Sturgeon said she would ‘focus on the pandemic for as long as it takes’ but failed to set out how this would be judged.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: ‘The idea we say to people ‘it’s OK, we’ve come through this greatest of challenges in our lifetimes’ and it will be a light-switch moment and won’t take time is simply not acceptable.’
He added: ‘Do we really want the next parliament to be an extension of this argument, frankly of this circus?
Mr Guru-Murthy said Scotland ‘turned on itself’ during the 2014 campaign, but Miss Sturgeon replied: ‘That wasn’t my experience but I respect that that was the experience of other people.
With just a week until the election, Ms Sturgeon said she would ‘focus on the pandemic for as long as it takes’ but failed to set out how this would be judged
‘But settling disagreements democratically, for any country, is not divisive. Politicians trying to dictate to people what the future should be, that is more divisive.’ After the SNP leader said people can ‘judge for themselves where my focus has been over these last 12 months’, Mr Ross told her: ‘Your eye has been off the ball.’
Boris Johnson’s conduct was repeatedly raised, with Ms Sturgeon claiming there was a ‘stench of sleaze’ around him.
But Mr Guru-Murthy then asked her whether she could ‘really take the moral high ground’ when there had been a ‘long list’ of impropriety claims against the SNP.
Ms Sturgeon said that in relation to the Alex Salmond affair she had been ‘investigated over allegations of breaching the ministerial code and I was cleared… I was investigated and I was subject to months of intense scrutiny’.