The SNP leader appeared on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday and admitted her party is yet to calculate the financial impact of an independent Scotland. The First Minister argued an economic assessment would need to be completed closer to the time for it to be accurate.
Ms Sturgeon defended her stance and insisted if the figures were completed a year ago, then they would now be “out of date” due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The revelation from the SNP chief leaves Scottish voters in the dark ahead of the Holyrood elections next month.
The SNP has vowed to hold a second vote on independence, seven years after the last referendum, if the party wins a majority on May 6.
A subsequent poll of more than 7,000 Express.co.uk readers has found the overwhelming majority believe Ms Sturgeon should be forced to reveal the financial impact of independence.
The online survey took place on April 26 from 8.00am-9.30pm and asked 7,327 Express.co.uk readers, “Should Sturgeon be forced to admit true cost of UK split?”
A huge 99 percent (7,244) of respondents thought the SNP should have to reveal the figures and voted “yes”.
Just 0.9 percent (68) of participants thought Ms Sturgeon should not have to disclose the numbers and voted “no”.
Meanwhile, the remaining 0.1 percent (15) of those surveyed remained unsure and said they did not know.
A number of passionate Express.co.uk readers left their opinions in the comments section of the poll story.
One reader wrote: “The Scottish people deserve to have this information before they vote, however, Sturgeon knows that if the truth was known she wouldn’t be in the running.”
A second added: “Obviously she will need to know how much independence will cost – how else will she know how many money trees to plant…”
A third commented: “Of course she should explain the economic plans for an independent Scotland.”
A fourth added: “The SNP will never reveal the true cost as it would mean the end of her quest.”
READ MORE: Brussels hardball tactic obliterated by damning new financial report
It came after BBC’s Andrew Marr grilled Ms Sturgeon on the financial impact of independence on Scots.
He asked: “Has the SNP modelled the impact of independence on peoples’ incomes?”
In reply, Ms Sturgeon said: “Not yet. We will do all of that, as we did in 2014, as we get to an independence referendum. We will do that then.”
When pressed as to why she did not have the figures, the SNP chief explained: “Because that will take account of all the up-to-date financial and economic information.
“If we had done that, for example, just over a year ago before the Covid pandemic struck then that modelling would be out of date now because the world has been turned upside down.
DON’T MISS
“You are asking me to put the cart rather before the horse.”
Writing in The Observer, Ms Sturgeon stood firm on her ambitions to hold Indyref2 and dismantle the UK.
She said: “If there is a majority in the Scottish parliament after this election for an independence referendum then Scotland must have the chance to put the recovery into Scotland’s hands.
“For the UK government to seek to block it would be unsustainable.”
The latest polling north of the border suggests the SNP is on course for a five-seat majority in the Holyrood Parliament.
A Survation poll of 1,037 prospective voters for The Sunday Post, suggested half of Scots plan to vote SNP in their constituency vote, while 35 percent intend to do so on the regional list ballot paper.
