Sturgeon says she’ll ‘never give up’ on independence as referendum court hearing to start
Nicola Sturgeon has said she will “never, ever give up” on Scottish independence, just a day before a Supreme Court hearing will begin over the legality of a new referendum.
The Scottish First Minister claimed at the SNP’s annual conference that “the nations of these islands will work together better with independence than we do now” and said an economic case for independence will be brought forward next week.
There has been a wealth of evidence to suggest Scotland will be worse off outside the UK and the SNP have yet to outline which currency a newly independent country north of the border would use.
Sturgeon has said there will be a second independence referendum on 19 October next year if the Supreme Court rules that a new poll can be held without Westminster approval.
The First Minister has said that if the referendum is denied then it will consider the vote in the next General Election to be representative of a proxy-vote on independence.
“If the court does not decide our way we will respect that judgement. We believe in the rule of law,” she said.
“As a party and movement we will of course reflect, but fundamentally it will leave us with a very simple choice – put our case for independence to the people in an election or give up on Scottish democracy. I will never, ever give up on Scottish democracy.”
She added: “England, Scotland, Wales, the island of Ireland. We will always be the closest of friends. We will always be family.
“But we can achieve a better relationship, a true partnership of equals, when we win Scotland’s independence.”
The Scottish government has proposed the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill, which would provide the mechanism for another referendum next year.
It has been taken to the Supreme Court by Sturgeon to see if it is valid without the UK government’s approval, which will not be forthcoming.
Sturgeon said: “I know some people ask – and this is not an illegitimate question – ‘why propose a referendum in the midst of a cost of living crisis?
“Conference, the answe is the question – the answer is the cost of living crisis.”