See you in court! Sturgeon calls Boris bluff wishing him ‘good luck’ in indyref2 challenge
Nicola Sturgeon branded ‘Moanalot’ by Jacob Rees-Mogg
Speaking tonight, the Scottish First Minister stressed there were big differences between the two leaders making clear his politics was a “world away” from hers. It comes as the SNP revealed it’s “roadmap to a referendum” on Scottish independence, setting out how they intend to take forward their plans for a second vote.
The 11 point plan makes clear a “legal referendum” will be held after the COVID-19 pandemic if there is a pro-independence majority following May’s election.
The roadmap adds any attempt by the UK Government to challenge the legality of the referendum in the courts will be “vigorously opposed”.
However, Mr Johnson has ruled out a second referendum and urged Nicola Sturgeon to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Sturgeon stressed that she wouldn’t prefer a “Catalonia” style referendum where the Spanish regional state declared a vote without the consent of the Madrid central government.
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The Scottish First Minister stressed: “I’ve got huge sympathy for the friends and political allies I’ve got in Catalonia, they’re in a dreadful position.
“But the referendum in Catalonia self-evidently didn’t lead to independence, I want a referendum that’s capable if people vote for it leading to independence.
“That means it must be legal and constitutional.”
Ms Sturgeon made clear the centre of their manifesto commitment in May will be a second referendum on Scottish independence.
She added: “If the people of Scotland vote for that and we’ve got all those polls showing a majority want independence, he [Boris] is going to say no, what does that say? That the democratic wishes of the Scottish people just count for nothing.
“What is then the democratic route to independence?”
Slating Mr Johnson’s attitude to independence, Ms Sturgeon said: “It’s an outrageous, anti-democratic position.”
Speaking tonight at Irish Times Winter Nights Festival, Ms Sturgeon said the question of ‘does an independence vote need the consent of Westminster?’ had never been tried in the courts.
She said she would prefer to use the Section 30 route as issued in 2014 but made clear if Westminster refused, the SNP led administration would issue a legal mandate themselves.
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She continued: “If Boris Johnson wanted to say ‘we didn’t have the legal authority’, he would have to test that in court.
“He would have to go to court to stand in the way of the democratic wishes of the Scottish people.
“All I would say to that Boris is good luck.
“It’s not a position any self-respecting Democrat should ever contemplate finding themselves in.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during his visit to Scotland today that “the very same people” who wanted independence “also said only a few years ago, in 2014, that this was a once-in-a-generation event”.
Mr Johnson said: “I’m inclined to stick with what they said last time.”
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