MIRIAM Margolyes has said she would back independence if she lived in Scotland.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday National, Margolyes – whose father is Scottish – was asked for her thoughts on the independence movement.
“Well, if I lived in Scotland, I would be SNP,” she said.
“I really believed in Nicola Sturgeon. I thought she was an incredibly exciting, intelligent and charismatic figure and I was totally shocked and amazed by all of these allegations of financial incompetence and possibly worse.
“That really shocked me and upset me because she was a voice I believed in.”
However, she added that she would most likely apply for Scottish citizenship in the event of an independence vote in order to once again gain access to membership of the EU.
Margolyes owns a house in Italy with her long-term partner but said she had been left unable to live there full-time due to Brexit.
“If I lived in Scotland, I’d want to be separate and, of course, it would suit me personally if the UK were broken up because then I’d be able to go and live in Italy, which is what I really want to do," she added.
“If Scotland were an independent nation and a member of the European Union, I could go live in the house I bought 50 years ago with my partner.
“But I can’t now because of Brexit so I’ll always keep an open mind [about independence].
“I love Scotland. Of course, it’s where my father came from and he was always alive to Scottish culture in the sense that he had a dram every shabbas and was moved by the bagpipes.
“So, Scotland is emotionally there for me.”
It comes as Margolyes prepares for her one-woman show at the Edinburgh Festival, which will see her perform as some of her favourite characters from Charles Dickens novels before opening the floor to questions from the audience.
