“But one that asks – how are we growing the country?”
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In a chapter of an upcoming book, “Scottish National Party Leaders”, Holyrood editor Mandy Rhodes revealed that Sturgeon would have been six months pregnant at 40 years-old during the 2011 Scottish Parliament election campaign, had she not miscarried in January of that year. “Well, I beg to differ”, she said.
“Once that idea is out there, it is very hard to reel it back”, said one senior SNP member, who requested anonymity.
“But by following our proposals for warm homes for all, the Scottish Government could make a genuine positive impact on people’s lives”.
The First Minister refused to say if a Bill paving the way for another vote would be part of her programme for government to be unveiled at Holyrood on Tuesday.
“It’s an unanswerable question, I just don’t know”, she said.
The UK’s referendum vote to leave the European Union was won 52 per cent to 48 per cent – but Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in Europe.
“We will not duck the tough issues”, said Sturgeon at the launch of the “new debate” on independence, condemning the “glee of the unionist parties” at damning Scottish government financial figures.
Ms Sturgeon has already ordered ministers to start drawing up legislation for a second independence referendum, which she said is “highly likely” – although not inevitable – following the Brexit vote.
As well as investing in “vital infrastructure”, she stressed ministers are “stepping up our support for business in the wake of the referendum”. She announced a three-year £500m Scottish Growth Scheme to provide investment guarantees and loans of up to £5m for smaller companies, and a further £100m acceleration of infrastructure projects, with £4bn due to be spent in public capital projects next year. “We want to build, if we can, a consensus on the way ahead”.
As well as this, £3.5 million is being invested in new “innovation and investment hubs” in London, Dublin and Brussels in a bid to help attract more businesses to Scotland and help domestic firms expand overseas.
She added: “We have started work to reform education and give our children the best opportunities in life, our A&E departments are the best performing in the United Kingdom, and we’re taking forward plans for legislation on child poverty and social security”.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks at the public Question and Answer event with European Union nationals living in Scotland, at the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, Scotland August 17, 2016.
“The First Minister and the SNP have had almost a decade. That will be absolutely central to our programme for the next five years”. The Scottish Government would create a benefits system based on “dignity and respect”, she added. “Also I do believe it is essential to get a real idea of the feeling around Scotland in order to make judgement on a second independence referendum”.
She added: “The UK that Scotland voted to stay part of has changed and so to have the arguments for and against independence”.
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Sturgeon now wants to gauge opinion on whether independence is a viable alternative again and under what terms, a person familiar with the plan told Reuters.
