Nicola Sturgeon has fired the starting gun on a new push for Scotland’s independence, unveiling a study she said showed the country would prosper outside the UK — but did not provide a clear timeline on holding another referendum.
Following criticism from some Scottish nationalists that she should move faster towards a new vote after the separatists’ 2014 referendum defeat, the first minister said on Tuesday she was exploring ways to ensure a legal path to independence and would address the devolved parliament on the issue “soon”.
She argued that Scots had a chance to “lift our eyes with hope and optimism and take inspiration from comparable countries across Europe”, but said staying in the UK and outside the EU would lead to a deteriorating outlook.