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Leading SNP politicians are drawing up a renewed case for Scottish independence while Britain is in lockdown. According to a recent report by The Times, the SNP are formulating policies with a view to unveiling a prospectus once the coronavirus outbreak has ended. Before the pandemic, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was determined to hold a second referendum on independence this year, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeatedly rejecting her calls.

However, because of the coronavirus pandemic gripping the world, the Scottish Government said it would be wise to put the campaign on hold.

A Holyrood election is due next May and if the SNP were to win an outright majority it would significantly raise the chance of a second referendum being held.

As uncertainty over the future of the union continues, unearthed reports shed light on how JK Rowling, the multimillionaire author of the Harry Potter novels, reacted to the first referendum on independence in 2014.

According to a throwback report by The Guardian, Ms Rowling donated £1million to the campaign against Scottish independence, after warning that it could have been a “historically bad mistake” to leave the UK.

She explained her decision in a 1,600-word essay on her website, arguing that devolution had allowed Scotland to flourish and protect its public services.

She said she understood the faith in Scotland’s capacity to stand on its own, and the argument that it could be fairer, greener and more equal sounded “highly appealing”.

However, the Harry Potter author raised concerns on the unanswered questions about currency and EU membership, as well as evidence that the Scottish government’s spending plans were too reliant on volatile oil revenues.

She wrote: “If we leave, there will be no going back.

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“This separation will not be quick and clean: it will take microsurgery to disentangle three centuries of close interdependence, after which we will have to deal with three bitter neighbours.”

She said rejecting independence would have improved Scotland’s standing with the rest of the UK, improving its chances of getting further powers, and would have allowed her adopted home country to flourish.

Ms Rowling, who moved to Edinburgh in 1993, added that she was bracing herself for abusive attacks from hardline nationalists who questioned her English roots and demonised any critics of independence.

She added: “By residence, marriage, and out of gratitude for what this country has given me, my allegiance is wholly to Scotland and it is in that spirit that I have been listening to the months of arguments and counter-arguments.”

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When Ms Sturgeon officially announced her plans to push for a second referendum in 2017, Ms Rowling, who also campaigned against Brexit, retweeted something she had written the year before, after the EU referendum.

The tweet said: “Scotland will seek independence now.

“Cameron’s legacy will be breaking up two unions.

“Neither needed to happen.”

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