Nicola Sturgeon is set to announce her plans for Scottish Independence, as she says the UK's economic model is "demonstrably failing and increasingly holding Scotland back". The First Minister's speech on Monday will detail a third independence paper and plans for a separate Scotland.
She is expected to say that an independent Scotland is “essential to build an economy that works for everyone”. The plans are set to cover topics such as currency and fiscal policy, border arrangements and the proposed Building a New Scotland Fund – which aims to deliver investment of £20 billion in the first decade of independence.
The paper is also expected to set out proposals including re-joining the European Union for access to the Single Market, a redesigned energy market that will provide “secure and reliable” low-cost energy, and greater workplace security with an end to “age discrimination in minimum wage setting”. It will also outline a migration policy which is designed to boost the country’s working population.
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Ahead of the speech, Ms Sturgeon has blasted the UK Government's crumbling economic policy, days after Prime Minister Liz Truss sacked Kwasi Kwarteng as Chancellor 38 days into the role. Jeremy Hunt made his first announcement as replacement chancellor on Monday, you can see our live updates here.
In a scathing attack, the Scottish First Minister used the UK's current economic state as a boost for her independence plans. She said Scotland had an “abundance of skilled people, innovative businesses, and natural resources”, but warned: “Scotland’s economy is one of the best performing in the UK – however, the UK economy, particularly post-Brexit, is now lagging behind many EU and international comparators.
“The UK economic model is demonstrably failing and increasingly holding Scotland back. Independence is now essential to build an economy that works for everyone.” Ms Sturgeon said: “The paper we are publishing today will help people make a clear, informed choice about independence and how we can forge a path towards becoming a fairer, greener, wealthier country.”
The publication of the newest plans on Monday comes after the UK Supreme Court heard arguments over a prospective independence referendum Bill last week, after being asked to consider if the Bill’s passage would be in the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
If the court finds Holyrood can legislate for another vote, Nicola Sturgeon has said she wants to hold another vote in October next year, 2023. Should a new independence referendum vote be approved, the Scottish Government plan for this to be held on October 19.
This paper is the third published as part of the government's plans, after Ms Sturgeon unveiled what she called a "refreshed" case for independence earlier this year. The UK Supreme Court, which heard two days of submissions last week, is considering if Holyrood has the legal powers to press ahead with a referendum without consent from the UK government.
However, the First Minister's rivals have blasted the plans. Daniel Johnson, Scottish Labour’s finance spokesman, said that the “SNP need to drop the spin and come clean with people about the catastrophic reality of their economic plans”.
“Despite wasting 15 years in government peddling the same old agenda, they still can’t answer even the most basic questions,” the MSP for Edinburgh Southern said. They are gambling people’s livelihoods based on fantasy economics and wishful thinking.”
Liz Smith, the Scottish Conservative’s finance spokesman, said the SNP had “never been able to make a convincing economic case for independence, and this paper doesn’t change that”. Nationalists are consistently unable to address the big questions that the public want answered about independence – on currency, on pensions and about how a hard border would impact our trade with the rest of the UK."
“Nicola Sturgeon has already admitted that the answers to some of these key questions would not be provided before the public was asked to vote. That is a ridiculous situation which would have serious implications for jobs, wages, savings and investment.”
And Willie Rennie, of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said that the SNP were “looking at the Conservative party’s economic chaos and saying, ‘we want some more of that’.
“This paper is not a solution to any of Scotland’s problems. It’s an indulgent distraction,” he said. "Scottish Government seem to have an utterly shambolic idea of what’s best for our economy.
“They have spent their time in government bungling industrial interventions and striking dodgy deals, while our skills and educational sectors have slipped down the international rankings.”
A UK Government spokesman said that “this is simply not the time to be talking about another independence referendum”.
“People in Scotland want their governments to be focussed on the issues that matter to them – growing our economy, ensuring our energy security, tackling the cost of living and supporting our friends in Ukraine against Russian aggression,” the spokesman said.
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