The First Minister announced on Monday that her campaign for Scottish independence will resume in the spring. The SNP leader has been criticised for not focusing on her next move to break up the Union after the advent of the new Omicron coronaviruses variant.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross called it a disgrace while Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said it was deeply disappointing and irresponsible. Ross said that the people of Scotland will have sighed with dismay but not disbelief that Nicola Sturgeon's response to the serious new Covid strain is to reaffirm her commitment to hold another divisive independence referendum within two years. It is a disgrace that the First Minister is talking about the possibility of introducing new restrictions to combat the Omicron variant on the same day, her focus is on breaking up the UK. As usual with the SNP, independence trumps every other priority, even when opinion poll after opinion poll tells them the public wants them to get on with the day job.
Scotland's NHS is at breaking point, our drugs-death crisis shames the nation, our education system is in decline and the SNP's soft-touch approach to justice is letting the public down. There are a lot of problems that Nicola Sturgeon's government has created and have a duty to correct, but their minds are elsewhere. Ms Baillie said it was deeply disappointing and irresponsible that the focus of the First Minister is once more on sowing division between Scotland and the rest of the UK in the face of a deepening public health crisis. Nicola Sturgeon's speech had nearly twice as many references to independence as it did to the health service, according to Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader. As we emerge from winter into spring, the campaign to persuade a majority of people in Scotland that our future will be more secure as an independent nation will resume in earnest is backed by the news that Sturgeon will open more Scottish hubs in Europe INSIGHT Nicola Sturgeon said she must move on referendum ANALYSIS Sturgeon refuses to rule out shutting down the England border. I will begin the process to allow a referendum before the end of 2023 in the course of next year. Our party will make a positive case for independence. We will outline the opportunities and advantages that independence will open up the opportunity to repair the damage of Covid, including the fiscal challenges it has created for all countries, in a way that aligns with our values and priorities as a nation.