Oh no Nicola! Sturgeon faces internal rebellion as own MSP thrashes independence plans


Speaking to BBC The Nine, Deputy SNP leader Keith Brown said he thinks campaigning for a second Scottish Independence referendum will resume “when the data determines that the pandemic is more or less over”. The SNP candidate for the Clackmannanshire & Dunblane constituency told the show campaigning can only resume when it is safe to do so throwing back Nicola Sturgeon’s IndyRef2 plans further. His comments came following the Scottish leaders’ debate on Tuesday evening where Ms Sturgeon faced questions from the public who lambasted her for pushing referendum plans during a deadly pandemic.

Mr Brown said campaigning will resume “when we can actually campaign safely when it’s not prohibited to go out campaigning, canvassing, street work, campaigning in the way we normally do.”

The Scottish politician added: “And of course when the data determines that the pandemic is more or less over.

“Which is what Douglas Ross seemed to hint at when he said we should be opening up everywhere just now.

“He seemed to think the pandemic was over.”

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The former Royal Marine added: “It is not over yet and there won’t be a referendum until it’s over.”

Discussing Tuesday evening’s Scottish party leaders debate, Mr Brown said: “But just on the point about how they performed, I thought it was a fairly cordial debate.

“I thought the one woman on the panel was the one person that had the ambition to be first minister, that has the experience the seriousness of purpose.

“And that shone through in Nicola Sturgeon’s performance.”

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The Scot LibDem added: “Over 10,000 people have lost their life, thousands more have lost their job, this is not the moment for another referendum.”

While Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said other issues such as tackling drug deaths, improving mental health care and increasing the number of police officers should take priority.

Mr Ross said: “We can recover from Covid using the strong foundations of the United Kingdom, we can tackle the looming economic crisis.

“But we won’t manage any of that if the SNP get a majority and hold another divisive referendum.”



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