Nicola Sturgeon denies 'GRANDSTANDING' over Scottish independence on US trade trip
NICOLA STURGEON has rubbished the suggestion her visit to the United States is about “grandstanding abroad and talking too much about independence”.
Sturgeon insists she is not 'GRANDSTANDING' on U.S. trip
The Scottish First Minister has been speaking to businesses to boost trade links with America but caused a stir after talking about independence during a speech at Stanford University.
But speaking to the BBC, she insisted she was there to talk business as it was “part of my day job”.
She said: “This trip is fundamentally about business links and about trade and that is all the more important now in light of Brexit that Scotland gets out there and sells the message about what an attractive place we are to do business – that’s part of my day job.
“What we’re trying to do in Scotland, and that’s why coming to meet companies like Apple, Tesla as well, we’re trying to take these big challenges that the world faces, where Scotland has a comparative advantage, and not only lead the world in doing the right thing but also try to get the economic advantage of that in terms of investment for Scotland as well.”
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This trip is fundamentally about business links and about trade and that is all the more important now in light of Brexit
During the speech at the university, she hinted at court action over the Government’s refusal to grant a referendum by 2019.
Mrs Sturgeon said on Tuesday night the position of the UK Government isn’t sustainable, and the notion the referendum needed Theresa May’s permission “hadn’t been tested in court”.
The First Minister told the audience she is seeking "legal consent from the Westminster government to legislate for an independence referendum, which at the moment they're saying they're not willing to give".
She stated: "That is not a sustainable position, frankly, for the UK Government to take, it is a bit of a holding position just now.
"There will be another referendum on Scottish independence, of that I am fairly certain."
She later came out and insisted she had “no plans” to take legal action and said the issue could be settled “politically”.
“I have no plans to go to court,” said Mrs Sturgeon. “I think it is absolutely essential that if the will of the Scottish Parliament is for a referendum then that should be respected.
“I don’t think there is any need nor is there any intention to see a matter that should be settled politically end up in the court.”