Nicola Sturgeon (pictured yesterday in te Scottish Parliament) today tried to revive her floundering bid for Scottish independence by pleading with voters to see it as an escape from the ‘despair of Brexit’
Nicola Sturgeon today tried to revive her floundering bid for Scottish independence by pleading with voters to see it as an escape from the ‘despair of Brexit’.
The Scottish First Minister is publishing a new report on how independence would work today despite repeated setbacks at the ballot box as voters reject the idea.
Ms Sturgeon insisted there was now a ‘very different political and economic situation’ to when the last referendum was held in 2014.
Her report advocates keeping the pound during a transition period after an independence vote – before potentially moving to a new currency.
She said: ‘There is no status quo and we know that being taken out of Europe and out of a market around eight times bigger than the UK market alone will hit our economy.
‘That is why it is time to begin a fresh debate and to replace the despair of Brexit with optimism about Scotland’s future.
‘We look forward to debating the report’s recommendations – both within the SNP and with business, trade unions and communities across Scotland.’
The Sustainable Growth Commission was set up to look at the future economic prospects of Scotland.
The 354-page report will outline that the pound should remain as Scotland’s currency for a period of time after any break from the Union.
There has been speculation the country would then move to a new Scottish version of Sterling.
Theresa May (pictured in the Downing Street garden on Wednesday) has refused to allow a second Scottish independence referendum
The report will also set out proposals for a ‘Come to Scotland’ package as part of efforts to boost the country’s population.
The document by former SNP MSP Andrew Wilson sets out how the country can use the ‘3 Ps’ – population, participation and productivity – in a bid to grow the economy.
The long-awaited report will argue an independent Scotland could be among the most successful small economies in the world, providing an economic boost that is the equivalent of £4,100 per person.
There are currently about 429,000 people living in Scotland who were born outside of the UK – with this group contributing £1.3 billion to the public purse.
The report includes 30 recommendations on how to grow the economy, including introducing a new visa system for Scotland which would be in contrast to the ‘UK Tory Government’s hostile approach to migration’.
Ms Sturgeon insisted there was now a ‘very different political and economic situation’ to when the last referendum was held in 2014 (file image)
Demographic trends mean Scotland needs to attract people to boost its working-age population, with the report setting the goal of the country retaining an additional 5,000 overseas graduates each year – which could be worth £1.5 billion a year to the economy within a decade.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: ‘Scotland voted decisively in 2014 to remain part of the UK. That decision should be respected. The public do not want another divisive independence referendum.
‘We want to work with the Scottish Government to maximise the opportunities our exit from the European Union will bring. We should all put our energies into making sure we get the right deal for Scotland and the rest of the UK as we leave the EU.’