SNP ‘chasm’ could result in ‘breakup’ warns commentator

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The SNP is demanding a second referendum on Scottish independence and hopes to gain a mandate at May’s elections to the Scottish parliament. Boris Johnson has said he will not grant a second referendum and considers the matter settled by the 2014 vote which Scotland opted to remain within the UK.

According to writer Alan Cochrane, unionists must launch a “full-blooded attack” on the SNP.

He argued exposing the nationalists’ record in government, rather than new constitutional arrangements, will be the key to saving the union.

Mr Cochrane wrote in the Daily Telegraph: “It is time for Unionists to attack the useless SNP. The SNP administration is a truly appalling government, a ragbag of competing egos enmeshed in a bitter internal war played out on a daily basis between its past and present leaders, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, and with a record in domestic policy that’s second to none for ineptitude.

“Only the Covid pandemic and a flair for public relations, aided and abetted by a tame television channel, have prevented Sturgeon’s government from sinking into a morass of its own making.

“Even beating the pandemic takes second place to gaining independence for the Sturgeon government as it gears up for the indyref2 it says it wants, while issues like closing the horrifying attainment gap between rich and poor schoolchildren and ending Scotland’s dreadful record as the drug-death capital of Europe are getting nowhere.”

The SNP is riven by civil war over its handling of sexual misconduct allegations against former leader Mr Salmond in 2018, which has put Ms Sturgeon on a collision course with her predecessor.

On Thursday Lady Dorrian issued a legal ruling, following intervention from The Spectator magazine, which could see evidence by Mr Salmond published and the former First Minister appear before the inquiry committee next week.

Mr Salmond, who was cleared of multiple sexual assault accusations last year during an Edinburgh High Court trial, has said he’d like to give evidence.

The Holyrood inquiry is investigating how the Scottish Government responded to the original misconduct allegations back in 2018.

In a letter to the committee, Mr Salmond’s lawyers said: “Our client hopes that today’s decision will enable publication of the relevant evidence and thereafter an early oral evidence session. Our client remains keen to attend.”

Support for independence has fallen to below 50 percent for the first time this year, when the “don’t knows” are included, according to a new Savanta ComRes poll for The Scotsman.

The survey found 47 percent of Scots would vote to leave the union, versus 42 percent opposed and ten percent undecided.

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Once the undecideds are excluded this would give the nationalists 53 percent versus 47 percent for the unionists.

Some 45 percent of respondents claimed the SNP are divided, an increase on eight points over the December figure.

However the SNP remains on track to win a majority at May’s elections.

Ms Sturgeon has insisted this would provide the mandate for a second independence referendum but Mr Johnson has said he will refuse.

The Prime Minister points out senior SNP figures insisted the 2014 referendum would be a “once in a generation” vote and demands this is respected.

As such he has suggested there shouldn’t be another referendum on Scotland leaving the UK until 2054.

A petition opposing a second independence referendum has secured over 91,000 signatures on the UK Parliament petition website.

As it has been signed more than 10,000 times the petition will receive a British Government response.

If it hits 100,000 signatures it will be considered for a Parliamentary debate.

The petition reads: “Do not give consent for another Scottish Independence Referendum.

“The SNP government appears solely intent on getting independence at any cost.”

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