The refusal by Tory Ministers to entertain the prospect of a second independence referendum is anti-democratic.
A pro-indy majority of MSPs was returned at Holyrood and ignoring the result is disrespectful to voters. However, it does not follow that the next general election should become a vote on independence.
The Supreme Court will soon decide whether a Bill for Holyrood to unilaterally stage a referendum is legal. If, as seems likely, judges rule against the Government then Nicola Sturgeon wants the next election to be a “de facto” referendum.
As Labour leader Keir Starmer writes today in the Record, the election will be a choice between Labour or a malign Tory Government.
Only Starmer or Truss will be PM and to pretend otherwise is a delusion.
People have put up with 12 years of awful Tory rule and the election will give voters a chance to boot them out.
All efforts should be geared towards toppling Truss and her Cabinet of extremists.
A better strategy for the SNP would be to present themselves as part of the solution for dumping the Tories.
Scotland could well become a Tory-free zone and the SNP, given they are in second place in Conservative-held seats, have a key role in this regard.
Turning an election into a “referendum” is likely to become a distraction from the most pressing issue in UK politics – the cost of living crisis.
Nobody is calling for the SNP to give up on IndyRef2 but progressive parties need to unite around a common cause of turfing the Tories out of Downing Street.
Dark days ahead
SOME Record readers will be old enough to remember the energy blackouts of the 1970s.
Now it looks like we are returning to those days, with calls from politicians for us to “be sensible” with energy use this winter or face the lights going out.
That is why we are running a guide for our readers today on how to use your electricity and gas more efficiently.
And we’re also suggesting the “best buys” for keeping your bills down.
The fact we have to do this at all is a sad reflection on where we are as a country.
Years of Tory misrule have left millions of households with no way to make ends meet. And the UK’s energy market is broken – almost beyond repair.
Whether independence or a Labour government will lead to a solution, we leave it up to our readers to decide for themselves.
But one thing is certain.
It is the Tories that have led us into this mess – and only when they are gone will we be able to get out of it.
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