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Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she hoped Scotland would achieve independence and join the European Union, emphasizing that “Brexit” occurred against the will of the “overwhelming majority” of Scots expressed in a 2016 referendum.
“We are experiencing a hard Brexit against our will, at the worst possible time, in the midst of a pandemic and economic recession,” Sturgeon said in a statement titled “Brexit” changed the game of Scottish independence, “published on this Saturday. on the official website of the Scottish National Party (SNP), two days after the UK left the customs union and the single market.
“The UK – wrote Sturgeon – is a voluntary union of countries, in which Scotland has its own legal and educational systems, a government and a parliament in charge of internal affairs, such as health and the environment, but no, like the ‘Brexit’ shown, of international relations ”.
Sturgeon says that Scottish independence never had to do with “separatism.” “It is about the right of the people to decide the form of government that suits them best,” he said, citing the economic benefits of EU membership and advocating a new referendum on Scottish independence. In the first poll, in 2014, when “Brexit” was not on the table, 55% of Scots said “no” to separation from the UK.
The decision to call the referendum rests with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who rejects it. Sturgeon wants to capitalize on the discontent in the May elections, to increase pressure on London over another referendum.
According to the latest survey carried out in December for the newspaper The scotch58% of Scots now support a break with the UK, an unprecedented figure.
“As an independent member of the European Union, Scotland would be a partner and could build bridges, not just to build a stronger economy and a more just society, but to facilitate relations between the EU and the UK,” argued Sturgeon. .
While the British as a whole voted 51.9% in favor of ‘Brexit’ in 2016, 62% of the Scots spoke out against leaving the EU.
“During our nearly 50 years of membership, we have benefited greatly from the freedoms of the single market, including freedom of movement. More than 230,000 people from across Europe have made Scotland their home, ”Sturgeon said, explaining that“ they are friends and family ”and“ they really want them to stay ”.
“[Com a saída da EU], our citizens will be less secure and their right to work, study and live in other parts of Europe will be restricted ”, he lamented. “We did not want to leave and we look forward to joining you as soon as we become an equal partner,” concluded Sturgeon.
