Scotland will become independent as part of a “wider shake-up” of UK governance, according to former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. She also predicted Irish reunification and suggested more devolution for Wales in the coming years, describing it as a “very healthy realignment of how the nations of the British Isles are governed and co-operate together.” Speaking to BBC Scotland News, Sturgeon said she believed a Yes victory was “within grasp” on the eve of the 2014 referendum. She added that she will “campaign and advocate” for Scottish independence for as long as she has the breath in her body.
Sturgeon also declined to predict whether she thought Irish reunification or Scottish independence would come first, saying it was “not a matter for her.” In May 2022, 10 months before stepping down as First Minister, Sturgeon met Sinn Féin VP Michelle O’Neill at her official Bute House residence in Edinburgh to discuss Brexit. Sturgeon said at the time that Brexit had “brought to the fore some very fundamental questions” over UK governance.
Although the Yes side lost the 2014 referendum, the SNP has enjoyed unprecedented electoral success in the decade since. But it has also been rocked by the loss of 39 seats in July’s general election, a public fallout between Sturgeon and her mentor Alex Salmond and an ongoing police investigation into party finances. However, support for independence has stabilised at just under 50%, according to YouGov polling.
Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who campaigned for Better Together in 2014, stated that Sturgeon “probably” had an opportunity to secure another independence referendum after Brexit vote, but that her “appetite to go so fast, so hard and so early took that opportunity away from her.” Davidson suggested that Sturgeon should have “put party politics aside” and tried to work with the UK government to “salvage” what they could from Brexit.
Former SNP leader Alex Salmond recalled the referendum as the “best of times and the worst of times.” Sturgeon also described the campaign as a “political awakening.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
