Sturgeon demands UK government ‘show Scotland respect’ - or face another independence vote
THE UK government should show Scotland respect or face a second independence referendum, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.
The Scottish First Minister said Theresa May’s Brexit policy was taking the country “off an economic cliff-edge”.
She added the Prime Minister had her "fingers in her eats when it comes to Scotland".
Ms Sturgeon campaigned against Brexit before last summer’s referendum and has repeatedly threatened to pull Scotland out of the UK since the result.
Unlike the UK as a whole, where Leave won with 52 per cent of the vote, Scottish voters voted overwhelmingly to Remain.
With the UK Supreme Court set to rule tomorrow on whether MPs should be allowed to vote on the triggering of Article 50, Ms Sturgeon called on Mrs May to allow Scotland a larger say on what happens next.
Ms Sturgeon wrote in the Daily Record today: “No matter what the court decides, I want to make this crystal clear - I intend to make sure the Scottish Parliament has the chance to vote on the question of triggering Article 50.
"If the UK Government don't start showing Scotland some respect, I'll make sure that people across Scotland have the chance to choose our own future before the Tories drag us off an economic cliff-edge."
Ms Sturgeon also accused Mrs May of “devastating” employment and living standards in Scotland.
She said: “It's getting hard not to feel like the PM has her fingers in her ears when it comes to Scotland.
"This isn't some academic debate - removing us from the largest single market in the world would be devastating for people's jobs and living standards. But that seems to be of little concern to the Tories."
Ms Sturgeon’s demands for a second referendum, however, could be seen as an empty threat given recent polling results in the country.
A poll earlier this month showed, when ‘unsure’ responses were excluded, 61.5 per cent of Scottish people were against holding another referendum in 2017.
Just 38.5 per cent of respondents wanted another vote this year.
And barely five weeks ago a poll revealed support in Scotland for remaining in the UK had actually grown to 56 per cent - sparking calls among unionists for Mrs May to call Ms Sturgeon’s bluff and approve another vote.
Redwood: Sturgeon knows she'd LOSE second referendum
Eddie Bone, director for the Campaign for an English Parliament, said: “Repeated polls have now shown a majority do not want a second vote on this. It's time Nicola Sturgeon respected that.
“Theresa May should play hard ball with her and demand that she holds her 2nd Scottish Independence referendum now. Get it over and done with!
“Nicola Sturgeon has made the mistake of biting too hard on the hook of Brexit and now can be reeled in and landed.”