Sturgeon vows to ignore Westminster if it blocks her ‘route map’ to independence

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On Tuesday, the First Minister is set to deliver the second stage or “route map” of her plan on Scotland’s second referendum if Boris Johnson refuses to devolve more powers to Scotland. Ms Sturgeon vowed to deliver the second referendum in October 2023, despite polls suggesting there is a clear majority which will reject independence.

Prior to her statement on Tuesday, she said: “Even previous Tory leaders, from Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May, said they believed the UK was based on the consent of the people who lived in its constituent nations.

“Westminster is taking a wrecking ball to the idea of the United Kingdom as a voluntary partnership of nations.”

The result of the referendum in 2014 was 44.7 percent of Scots voted for independence while 55.3 percent voted against it.

The First Minister said that Scots must be able to have “the democratic choice they have voted for” with IndyRef2.

Despite the likelihood of Westminster attempting to block Sturgeon’s “route map”, the First Minister vowed to continue her plans even if rejected by the Government.

She noted that if Westminster attempted to block her plans it would “weaken the UK Government’s standing” in Scotland and across the world.

She added: “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.

“Westminster rule over Scotland cannot be based on anything other than consented, voluntary partnership.

“It is time to give people the democratic choice they have voted for, and then with independence to build a more prosperous, fairer country in a true partnership of equals between Scotland and our friends in the rest of the UK.”

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The SNP’s power-sharing arrangement with the Scottish Green Party after failing to win control of the Scottish Parliament last yet means there is a majority in Holyrood for Indyref2.

Ahead of her statement to Westminster, the First Minister said: “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.”





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