Sturgeon ‘frightened’ to hold Indyref2 ‘too early’ as SNP hold off

Douglas Ross clashes with Nicola Sturgeon over IndyRef2

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Dr Kirsty Hughes, writer and commentator on Scottish, has claimed the SNP leader is “frightened” to make a real start on campaigning for an independent Scotland out of fear they will lose. Speaking to the Federal Trust, Ms Hughes said: “I think it’s very important for a future independent Scotland if that’s where it’s going that it has 55 percent or more and can get over some of the demographic divides. If Nicola Sturgeon’s gambit paid off, in a general election in the next two years, the SNP got 55.5 percent, does that prove anything? I don’t think it does.

“If they got 49.5 percent, the Tories would say, ‘you’ve had your quasi-referendum and it’s a no’.

“Whereas if they started campaigning now and got it to 55 percent or more, I think that would change things.

“But there’s no real campaigning going on.

“There’s grassroots activity but there’s no real strategic and dynamic campaigning.

“It’s as if they’re frightened to go too early.”

It comes as Ms Sturgeon has rejected an accusation she lied to the Scottish people about the country’s currency after independence.

The First Minister responded to questions from Douglas Ross following a report in the Times that Scotland would have to join the euro if it wished to be a member of the European Union.

Ms Sturgeon’s Government last week published a paper on the economic and currency policy of an independent Scotland, saying the country would continue to use Sterling until a new pound was established.

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But speaking to the newspaper, an unnamed EU source said it would be “no euro, no entry” for an independent Scotland, with another three reported to have backed the view.

In a noisy exchange during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Scottish Conservative leader Mr Ross asked: “Who’s lying to the Scottish people, the European Union or Nicola Sturgeon?”

Responding, the First Minister quoted a number of sources, including former prime minister David Cameron and the ex-president of the European Commission, as holding a different view to that of the sources quoted in the Times.

She added: “Many countries in the European Union still use their own currency.

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“Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden – a member state since 1995 still uses its own currency.”

The First Minister went on to say she “welcomed” such a debate on the currency of an independent Scotland, challenging Mr Ross to “have a referendum and let’s have these debates with the Scottish people”.

Mr Ross described Ms Sturgeon’s answer as “desperate stuff”.

He added: “The First Minister’s big plan is actually to break Scotland away from by far our biggest trading partner – the United Kingdom – with nothing to show for it, in the middle of a global inflation and cost-of-living crisis.

“And she wants to put businesses and families through that in the next 12 months.”

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