Remaining solely fixated on the idea of Scottish independence above all else lowers the chances of it becoming a reality for the first minister, write the P&J’s editorial team.
There may be mixed feelings over the Supreme Court’s ruling on the legality of holding a second independence referendum without UK Government permission. Regardless of your personal view, at the very least, Scotland now has legal clarity on this issue.
Despite this certainty and her claims that the case for leaving the UK has never been stronger, Nicola Sturgeon appeared less sure of herself than ever following the announcement.
The First Minister has painted herself into a corner; in order to keep her word, the only route available is to follow through on her promise to turn the next UK general election into a de facto indyref2. That would mean two more years of fixation on leaving the union, without any guarantee that the many Scots currently opposed to the idea will get on board in 2024.
Win over voters by leading well
While, of course, nobody expects the first minister to ever abandon her goal of independence, there are multiple urgent crises to attend to that must take precedence.
The Scottish Government appears too preoccupied with indyref2 to even fully register the dire straits some citizens are facing
It is Nicola Sturgeon’s responsibility to serve and lead the country. By doing so well, it is likely she would increase overall support for her party and, indeed, perhaps even for independence. Improve conditions and the votes will follow. Such an outcome would make any general election a walk in the park for the SNP.
Rightly or wrongly, Ms Sturgeon was praised by people on all sides of the political spectrum for her conduct during the worst of the Covid pandemic, and she could gain similar brownie points if seen to be dealing with the soaring cost of living head-on.
As it stands, the Scottish Government appears too preoccupied with indyref2 to even fully register the dire straits some citizens are facing. Perhaps the dose of reality handed down by the Supreme Court will awaken the SNP from its fantasy-fuelled dream. For the sake of Scotland’s people, we hope so.
The Voice of the North is The Press & Journal’s editorial stance on what we think is the most important story of the day
