Nicola Sturgeon to set out plan for second…

Nicola Sturgeon to set out plan for second independence referendum at Holyrood

The First Minister will make a statement to Holyrood this afternoon that will give information on the Scottish Government’s plan to hold a second independence referendum in 2023.

Nicola Sturgeon will elaborate on the SNP’s plan to host the national poll and will argue that the SNP’s 2021 election victory gives a clear mandate to hold the vote.

However, Sturgeon will be grilled by the opposition within Holyrood on how a legally-binding referendum could move forward without the backing of the UK Government in Westminster.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has continuously claimed that the 2014 referendum result should be respected and that the SNP should abide by their former “once in a generation claim.”

Opposition politicians have called on the SNP to instead focus on the crippling cost of living crisis impacting large swathes of the Scottish population, the Daily Record reports.

But Sturgeon is expected to argue the case for a second referendum and has insisted the "democratic will" of Scots must be respected.

She said: "The people of Scotland have elected a Parliament committed to giving them a choice on independence, and so that democratic will must be respected.

"In Scotland, it is the people who are and have always been sovereign – and it is the people’s will which must prevail.

"That may be an inconvenient truth for our political opponents, but it is a simple and unavoidable truth nonetheless.

"Continued attempts to block that democratic will only weaken the UK Government’s standing, here and internationally.

"Bluntly, the UK Government is in no position to lecture any other country about the need to respect democratic norms if it is intent on trying to thwart democracy at home."

But Anas Sarwar accused the SNP of "trying to drag Scotland back to the politics of the past".

The Scottish Labour leader said: "The SNP are trying to drag Scotland back to the politics of the past instead of dealing with the challenges of the present.

"It is no surprise that Nicola Sturgeon is ramping up her efforts to sow division and strife when we see the chaos in her party and the failures of her government.

"She says to listen to the people of Scotland – but she refuses to herself, forging ahead with an unwanted referendum and ignoring people’s desperate cries for help with the cost of living crisis.

"Right now people across Scotland are struggling to put food on the table as bills spiral; one in eight Scots is stuck on a waiting list as our NHS buckles under pressure, and public transport is in chaos.

"Instead of dealing with these issues, we have two governments feeding off one another and trying to tear communities apart for political gain – but you cannot play politics while people’s lives and livelihoods are in the balance."

Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Lib Dem leader, said: "Nicola Sturgeon’s desire to break up the UK is out of touch, obsessive and desperate.

“She is neglecting everyone who is worried about paying the bills or the sharp spike in Covid infections.

"It’s a kick in the teeth for health staff, the hundreds of thousands of people on NHS waiting lists and anyone who believed the First Minister when she said education was the top priority."