Scotland’s sturgeon bow out at ‘critical time’ for independence | – #Scotlands #sturgeon #bow #critical #time #independence
LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) – With the Westminster government vetoing a new referendum stalling Scottish independence, nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday presented a new approach to breaking the deadlock. offer He resigned from the position of First Minister of Scotland.
But Sturgeon’s departure also poses a huge risk to the cause. Its Scotland National His success during his eight years at the helm of his party has largely silenced critics of his strategy, and once he’s gone, internal fault lines could be exposed by a vacuum.
Having dedicated his life to an independent Scotland, he said that while there was no clear successor, a new leader would be better placed to take the movement forward.
Although Sturgeon said she “strongly believes there is now majority support for independence in Scotland”, polls suggest there is still more to do.
Emily Gray, managing director of Ipsos Scotland, told Reuters that sentiment was still divided.
Latest Updates United Kingdom category of Great Britain Labor Watchdog says organization has taken steps to tackle anti-Semitism, article with galleryGalleryMacro Matterscategory Slowing inflation in Britain eases pressure on Bank of England, article with gallery
See 2 more stories
“Whoever succeeds Nicola Sturgeon, they will have important work to do if they are to take the case for independence forward and the path to a second referendum is currently unclear,” he said.
GO ALL THE WAY
Sturgeon, the referendum in 2014 way He became the dominant figure in Scottish nationalism after the defeat of his attempt to leave the UK by 55% to 45% and the resignation of his predecessor, Alex Salmond.
The Westminster government agreed to the vote but opposed calls for another vote, saying the issue was settled for a generation. of Great Britain Ali Last year, the Scottish court ruled that Scotland could not hold a referendum without the consent of the London parliament.
Court after his decision, some polls showed support for independence, but it has recently fallen back to 2014 levels.
on YouGov UK Europe Political and Social Anthony Wells, head of research, said Sturgeon was still popular and the post-referendum vote was always close enough to go either way in any new referendum.
“The SNP seemed like a very competent governing class,” he told Reuters. “If it doesn’t stay that way, it could really set them back and really hurt the cause of Scottish independence.”
At this “critical juncture”, Sturgeon said her preference was to use the next Westminster election as a “de facto” referendum, but this was not a perfect option and she could not ask the party to follow her decisions. would remain the leader.
Shortly after his resignation, friction between the nationalist movement openly spread, his mentor political his rival Salmond criticized his approach.
“The movement has no clear strategy for independence,” said Salmond, who now heads Alba’s party.
“The previously accepted referendum route has been closed and the de facto referendum/election proposal is now up in the air at best.”
NO APPARENT HEIR
Sturgeon argued that the SNP’s new leadership could lift support for independence and give opponents a fresh perspective from a new voice.
But a Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times found that finance secretary Kate Forbes led the field as a possible replacement for Sturgeon, picked by 7% of those polled, with 69% saying they didn’t know.
“Voters don’t see a clear successor to (Sturgeon) – which shows how dominant a figure he’s been for so long,” pollster Mark Diffley said. “He’s going to be a tough act to follow.”
While Sturgeon sees her resignation as a moment to strengthen the independence cause, it could be undermined if she brushes off all the growing divisions within the party, including on issues such as independence and transgender rights.
YouGov’s Wells said, “There’s been a lot of controversy going forward, which has so far been held in check by the fact that they have a very strong, clear leader at the top.”
John Kampfner, director of the UK Global Initiative at Chatham House, said Sturgeon’s decision to resign “has ensured that she has a very strong historical record”.
“But more importantly, it casts further doubt on whether Scotland will be independent, at least for the foreseeable future,” he said.
By Alistair Smout report; Edited by Mike Harrison
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2023-02-15 22:07:44
Source – reuters
Translation“24 HOURS”