FURIOUS Unionist politicians have told Nicola Sturgeon to “give it a rest” after she launched a second independence prospectus.
The Scottish Tories and LibDems both released statements telling the First Minister to focus on the cost of living crisis instead of a second independence referendum after her announcement in Bute House. Scottish Labour have so far not made a statement.
The 58-page document sets out multiple examples of Scotland being ignored by Westminster governments, with SNP depute leader Keith Browning warning politicians they “cannot stop democracy” after its publication.
Donald Cameron, Tory MSP, said the FM’s speech was the “height of SNP self-indulgence and distraction”.
The shadow constitution secretary fumed: “Nicola Sturgeon is all too happy to shamefully use her podium at Bute House to push her political obsession and have valuable civil servants’ time and resources wasted on working on the SNP’s only priority.
“She knows the vast majority of people in Scotland don’t want another divisive independence referendum next year.
“They want her government focused on tackling the global cost-of-living crisis, helping our NHS to get through the ever-increasing backlogs in treatment and supporting our post-pandemic recovery.”
Cameron then claimed the FM was using her official residence to “spout SNP propaganda”.
He added: “Which will only paralyse Scotland with years of bitter division and distraction.
“The nationalists are typically only interested in standing up for the democratic rights of those who agree with them.
“Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP need to give it a rest and focus instead on the real priorities of the Scottish public.”
Wendy Chamberlain, LibDem MP for North Fife, claimed the Scottish Government were spending taxpayer cash on “vanity publishing exercises”.
The Scottish LibDem depute leader said: "It's strange to read a document that declares that ‘devolution has been good for Scotland’ and then announces its author's intention to throw away the benefits of pooling and sharing that we get from being part of the wider UK.
"Rather than spending taxpayers' money on a series of vanity publishing exercises, the Scottish Government should be putting every penny to work to help people with the cost-of-living crisis.”
Chamberlain added that as energy bills soar and families struggle to afford food, “every minister” should be focused on tackling the crisis.
She said: "Every time Nicola Sturgeon talks about separating Scotland from its biggest market - the rest of the UK - businesses shudder. We should not repeat the mistakes of Brexit by putting up new borders and breaking up the UK.
"Scottish Liberal Democrats will continue to argue that Scotland is best served by policies and politicians which put it at the heart of a reformed UK."
'Renewing Democracy through Independence' is an interesting name given the largest democratic exercise in Scotland's history in 2014 seems to have been largely ignored by this government https://t.co/XEm8qvzJDO
— Carol Mochan MSP (@CMochan) July 14, 2022
Scottish Labour have not released a statement at time of publication, but Carol Mochan, South Scotland regional MSP, wrote on Twitter: “'Renewing Democracy through Independence' is an interesting name given the largest democratic exercise in Scotland's history in 2014 seems to have been largely ignored by this government.”
SNP depute leader Brown said that the paper shows when decisions are made by Westminster, “Scotland loses out”.
He added: “Hundreds of billions in oil revenue squandered by the UK Treasury, a crippling decade of Tory austerity and the economic and social disaster that is Brexit is the legacy of Westminster control.
“Decisions about Scotland should be taken by those who live here - not by politicians we don’t vote for or unelected Lords. That’s why Scotland needs independence - and Westminster politicians cannot continue to stand in the way of the democratic right to choose a better future.
“There will soon come a time when the opposition will have to engage in the substance of the independence argument. It will then be for them to explain why Westminster control would be better than the full powers of independence where Scotland takes our own decisions.”
