Sturgeon Strategy May Leave Scotland Free From UK, Dependent On EU -Pro-Independence Party

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Sturgeon Strategy May Leave Scotland Free From UK, Dependent on EU -Pro-Independence Party

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2019) The strategy of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon may leave Scotland independent from London but instead of that it will make it dependent on the European Union, Jock Penman, co-convener of the euroskeptic yet pro-Scottish independence Solidarity party, told Sputnik on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Sturgeon said that Scotland may hold a new independence referendum until the end of the current parliament's term in 2021 if Brexit was not revoked.

"Independence is independence. Her [Sturgeon's] strategy appears to be to free ourselves from the constraints of Westminster but then tie ourselves to the constraints of Brussels. If you want independence then you want independence from everyone," Penman stressed.

He expressed doubts that Sturgeon would manage to organize the second independence referendum.

"However, that's something that can be argued out once Scotland becomes independent, but it's now at risk of becoming a bit of barrier to Scotland becoming independent to begin with. Nicola Sturgeon has stuck herself in a corner here and left herself little room for maneuver ... So her speech was encouraging up to a point, but it's hard to say how that's going to be successful. Over the coming months she's just going to have to come out with something a lot more clear and positive for the Yes Campaign," Penman said.

He also described Brexit as more of a "Gordian knot" that had now become a "pantomime" process that the UK parliament was unable to solve. Rather than thinking logically, Penman argued, mutual hostility between the contending parties had only complicated the situation, leading to a situation where continued EU membership remained a possibility.

"A general election won't solve it. A change of leadership of the Tory party won't solve it, and it's clear there's so much animosity within the parties that it's quite impossible to get any clear decision on it through Westminster ... So it looks to me that it's a clear choice between Theresa May's Brexit deal ... they [lawmakers] may bite the bullet and say that is our only option, but I don't think they'll ever be forgiven for doing that. So it's either that or staying in Europe. And I don't rule that out. But that will have a catastrophic effect on the cause of independence for Scotland," he noted.

According to Penman, the UK government was avoiding any discussions on the new Scottish referendum on independence.

"I think that they just don't want to get into any kind of debate - It's a blanket refusal from them but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen ... They are not really in a position to refuse as refusal would only further inflame the situation in Scotland. So it's all hot air, just rhetoric. The last thing they want is for Scotland to become independent as it's such an integral part of the British economy," he added.

During the 2016 Brexit referendum, Scotland voted to remain part of the European Union. Across the United Kingdom, however, the Leave vote won. The idea of holding a new independence referendum has been floated, but UK Prime Minister Theresa May said in 2017 that the timing was not right for it. During the previous independence referendum held in 2014, 55.3 percent of Scottish voters expressed wish to remain a part of the United Kingdom.