“That’s why I believe it is right that our party does now lead a new debate on independence”, she said. “Well, I beg to differ”, she said.
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The First Minister outlined 14 Bills which her SNP administration at Holyrood will introduce – including four pieces of legislation making use of new powers that have just been devolved to Edinburgh. “We want to build, if we can, a consensus on the way ahead”. Sturgeon has pledged to explore all of the options for securing Scotland’s status in Europe – including, if necessary, another vote on independence.
Scotland voted by 62 per cent to 38 per cent to remain in the European Union in the June 23 Brexit referendum, putting it at odds with Britain as a whole which voted to leave.
The Labour politician added: “The SNP government’s own figures should act as a reality check for those calling for another independence referendum”.
“This was obviously a painful experience for Peter and I and while Mandy [Rhodes, the author of the article] has known about it for some time, she has always respected our decision not to talk about it publicly”, Sturgeon wrote, in a statement released following the magazine’s publication.
As the panel – which includes members from the US, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Malaysia, Australia and the United Kingdom – prepared to begin its work, Ms Sturgeon stressed the importance of closing the attainment gap between rich and poor pupils in Scotland’s schools.
In the extract from the book “Scottish National Party Leaders”, Sturgeon, whose husband is the SNP’s chief executive, says she does not know whether she would have become first minister if she had not had the miscarriage.
“We do not look back at the referendum on independence with much in the way of nostalgia”.
“While I take nothing for granted, I suspect support for independence will be even higher if it becomes clear that it is the best or only way to protect our interests”, she said.
She will highlight 29 new or refurbished school buildings due to open to pupils during this academic year under the Scottish Government’s £1.8 billion Schools for the Future programme.
As well as investing in “vital infrastructure”, she stressed ministers are “stepping up our support for business in the wake of the referendum”.
It indicated a majority of Scottish voters do not want a second referendum (54 per cent to 46 per cent).
But in a nod to her critics, Sturgeon vowed not to skirt the hard economic questions and said a specially commissioned SNP group would consider an independence policy program aimed at expanding the economy, cutting fiscal deficit and deciding a monetary strategy.
She said: “There can be no doubt that Brexit raises afresh the issue of independence. and second, important that the issue of European Union membership is, the case for independence is about much more than that”.
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The First Minister, who thanked people for their kind messages, added: “For me, as for many women, all of these things have been true at different times of my life – the point is that judgments and assumptions shouldn’t be made about what are personal choices and experiences”.
