Getting an independence referendum might be more durable than profitable one – Yousaf
H
umza Yousaf has stated getting Westminster to grant one other vote on Scottish independence might be more durable than profitable it.
The Scottish Government – beneath each the present incumbent and predecessor Nicola Sturgeon – has made repeated entreaties to the UK Government to grant one other vote and has been rejected each time.
With the UK Supreme Court ruling final yr that the Scottish Parliament didn’t have the powers to carry a referendum, the SNP reverted to a method that might deal with a common election as a “de-facto” ballot on separation, seen by many as their solely remaining choice.
Speaking at a dwell recording of the Holyrood Sources podcast in Edinburgh, the First Minister informed the viewers he needed to be up entrance with members of the celebration he took over earlier this yr.
“There is no getting away from the fact that there is no shortcut if the UK Government continues to deny us the referendum,” he stated.
“I don’t think winning it is the most difficult part, getting the referendum is the most difficult part.
“I think actually, once we have it, we have the arguments.”
Mr Yousaf’s statements echo earlier confidence that the Yes marketing campaign may ship independence if one other referendum was granted.
However, assist for independence in current opinion polls has struggled to rise above 50%, with the latest survey, by Redfield and Wilton, suggesting assist amongst determined respondents sat at 48%.
The solely method to break by the UK Government’s denials, the First Minister stated, was by harnessing the “power of the people” and rising assist for leaving the UK to such a degree that it can’t be ignored.
“There’s no other way, there’s no magic shortcut, there’s nothing you can suddenly do, there’s no regulation or law that you can pass that suddenly changes things overnight,” he stated.
“It’s going to have to be through the power of the people and that’s when actually the argument is right – that we have to shift the dial considerably.
“We can’t be anywhere between 45% and 52% or 53%, we’re going to have to shift the dial considerably in order for people power to say, ‘we are not going to accept a continued denial from Westminster’ that’s the only way to do it.”