Nicola Sturgeon 'walking nationalist tightrope' says expert

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CEO of Scottish Business UK Struan Stevenson spoke to Express.co.uk and explained how First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is narrowly walking across a “tightrope” where she is managing the demands from hard-core nationalists and more skeptical Scots. Mr Stevenson added Nicola Sturgeon was an expert at doing so as she manages the support and concerns over Scottish independence. But the Scottish trade leader added Ms Sturgeon “could fall off” her tightrope as he explained the “corner” she had now backed herself into. 

Mr Stevenson spoke to Express.co.uk and said: “Nichola Sturgeon is walking a nationalist tightrope.

“Because on the one hand, and she’s done this for years quite skillfully, she has to keep that carrot dangling of an imminent indyref2 for all the flag wearing Braveheart nationalists.

“On the other hand, she has to tell the realists, who are scared that if we rush into any ref to anytime soon we would lose.

“Because the opinion polls show that the nation is still totally split on that.

“So, she herself doesn’t want to rush into indyref2 saying we must concentrate on recovery.

“But we will have a second independence referendum within the lifetime of this parliament so she’s walking this tightrope all the time.

“And, you know, ultimately she might fall off.”

Scottish Business UK has penned a letter to Ms Sturgeon urging her to not focus on independence and to instead put all her resources into fixing Scotland after the pandemic. 

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The letter was signed by several hundreds of Scottish businesses who were concerned over what an independent Scotland could do to their business. 

Mr Stevenson revealed to Express.co.uk since its publication and subsequent publicity, the number of businesses who have signed the letter has increased dramatically.

The CEO also told Express.co.uk that the SNP’s desire to rejoin the EU may wipe billions from their economy as they require a central bank to join the bloc. 

The result of which may mean Scotland will have to create its own currency which economists forecast will be 20 percent weaker than the Pound Sterling. 

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Economist Tony MacKay wrote in The Times that a new Scottish currency would be 18 to 22 percent weaker than the Pound Sterling.

Mr Stevenson said he was also concerned many Scottish businesses would simply pack up and leave for England if they became independent due to their close proximity and uncertainty within Scotland. 

Ms Sturgeon has recently delayed the reopening of areas in central Scotland citing fears of the Indian variant. 

But despite the concerns, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he can see nothing in the data which suggests any delay to the June 21 reopening date. 

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