The economy is tanking, the public services are in peril. So what do you do if you’re Nicola Sturgeon? Promise another independence referendum! That’s right, the queen of the nats is out on tour again, dusting off all the great classics to keep her fanatical fan base happy. The First Minister will today publish the first in a ‘series of papers’ making the case for Scottish independence, amid much excited SNP chatter about a plebiscite in 2023. And why not? After all, the same trick worked for Sturgeon in 2016, 2017, 2018…
Fortunately though, some of Scotland’s less pliant media have grown tired of yet more press conferences at which ministers proclaim that independence is imminent and another poll is to be held (just not yet). So Mr S thoroughly enjoyed Colin Mackay of STV News asking the blessed Nicola last night about the ongoing CalMac ferries disaster in the context of Indyref2. His zinger: ‘You want a referendum next year, what will we get first: a ferry or a referendum?’ prompted an irritated Sturgeon to merely tut and bluster.
But it was Mackay’s persistence on another independence-related question that really got under Sturgeon’s skin. The broadcaster asked the First Minister no less than eight times if she would be willing to appear on a platform with her predecessor, mentor and long-time colleague Alex Salmond in the event of such a campaign. Sturgeon prevaricated, suggesting that as the leader of the SNP she couldn’t appear with another leader of a political party like Salmond, who heads the Alba brigade.
Mackay pointed out that she will speak today alongside Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens. Sturgeon could then only accuse the STV man of wanting to turn the issue into ‘some kind of personal soap opera’, something which the SNP and its branded battlebuses would never, ever do.
Perhaps it’s time for Nicola to change her tune? After all, she can’t keep promising her party another independence referendum next year… can she?
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