27 Jun 2017
Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership is “leaking credibility by the hour”, the Scottish Conservatives have said after the First Minister shelved her second referendum plans.
Addressing MSPs today, the SNP leader said she would “reset” the proposals tabled earlier this year, when she said she wanted to bring forward plans for another vote immediately.
Instead, she said, she would wait for the outcome of Brexit negotiations.
The climbdown follows the General Election where the SNP lost 21 MPs north of the border, and repeated polls showing Scots don’t want independence, and don’t want to have to go through another referendum to prove it.
Responding, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said ministers should go further, and promise there will be no separation vote for at least the duration of the Scottish parliamentary term.
Ruth said, far from being reasonable and listening to the public, Sturgeon was “in denial” about her mistakes and losing credibility in her leadership as a result.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:
“The issue we have had this last year has been with a First Minister who tried to use the UK’s decision to leave the EU to impose another referendum on Scotland at the earliest opportunity.
“No once in a generation, no Edinburgh Agreement of respecting the result, just a single-visioned drive to the line for Nicola Sturgeon to try to secure her place in history.
“Today’s statement fails to give people any assurance that the First Minister has been listening.
“Instead, she appears to be in denial about her mistakes over this last year and, as a result, is leaking credibility and confidence in her leadership by the hour.
“Her response hasn’t been to reflect.
“It’s been simply to lash out at the UK Government at every opportunity and to sing the same old songs in the same old tune.
“She now claims to be putting the referendum to one side.
“She should just give the country some certainty and take it off the table for the rest of this parliament at least.”
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