10, December 2019
Secession Palaver: Leader of Scottish National Party shifts to a more radical position on independence 0
With the general election only a few days away, Nicola Sturgeon has thrown down the gauntlet at the entire British political establishment.
The leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) is now calling for a fresh poll on Scottish independence regardless of Brexit.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Sturgeon, who is also Scotland’s First Minister, said that the “contemptuous way in which Scotland has been treated” justifies a new independence referendum.
Previously Sturgeon had linked a fresh independence poll to Brexit, on the grounds that the Scottish people – unlike the English – had not voted to leave the European Union (EU).
Sturgeon defended her new position by claiming that Scotland’s “interests, voice and views” had been “ignored” over the past three years.
And to reinforce the urgency of her position, the SNP leader revealed that she will approach the UK government by the end of the year for an agreement to hold a legally binding referendum.
The SNP needs the British government’s agreement to hold a legal referendum whose outcome is guaranteed to be respected and implemented.
In addition the Scottish Parliament – which is dominated by the SNP – also has to pass necessary legislation to create the grounds for a referendum next year.
Sturgeon has repeatedly said that she wants to hold an independence poll in the second half of 2020.
The SNP leader’s new position indicates a hardening of her approach and crucially it points to her bridging the divide with more radical Scottish nationalists who are unaffiliated to the SNP.
The broader Scottish independence movement has been critical of the SNP’s cautious and legalistic approach toward achieving independence.
Now that Sturgeon has shifted toward a more radical position – by effectively setting Scotland apart from the rest of the UK – the Scottish independence movement is likely to pick up additional momentum going forward.
Source: Presstv
11, December 2019
UK Elections: The Conservative Party has come on top in every poll 0
As the campaign period draws to a close, there is every indication that the Tories are set to score a small victory and thus remain in power.
The latest opinion poll by YouGov (released yesterday evening) suggests that the Conservative party is set to secure a majority of around 28 seats in the House of Commons, enough to form a government.
However, YouGov was anxious to stress that the margin of error cannot rule out either a hung Parliament, or conversely, a larger Conservative majority.
The findings of YouGov are consistent with polling by multiple sources over the course of the campaign which has placed the Tories ahead of Labour by at least six percent.
Most significantly, an opinion poll for The Observer last Friday placed the Conservatives ahead of Labour by 15 points.
The Observer poll placed the Tories ahead with 46 percent of the vote, Labour in second place with 31 percent and the Liberal Democrats in third place with 13 percent of the vote.
But pollsters have warned politicians and pundits alike to be cautious as recent elections in the UK, notably the Brexit referendum of June 2016 and the general election of June 2017, delivered unexpected results.