Sturgeon: Scots won’t accept Tory PM telling us we can’t choose future

People in Scotland will not accept being told by a future Tory Prime Minister that they cannot choose their own future, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Currently, 11 candidates have declared they are standing to succeed Theresa May – Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom, Jeremy Hunt, Rory Stewart, Sajid Javid, James Cleverly, Matt Hancock, Esther McVey and Kit Malthouse.

Earlier this week, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said that she expects all of those candidates to rule out a referendum on Scottish independence.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Sajid Javid wrote: “If I become PM, I won’t allow a second Scottish independence referendum. People stated views clearly in 2014, so there should be no second vote. Nicola Sturgeon should spend more time improving public services in Scotland, and less time grandstanding”.

However, the First Minister responded by saying that Scots would not accept a Tory leader telling them they can’t choose their own future.

Ms Sturgeon tweeted: “Memo to Tory leadership candidates: A majority of Scots – independence supporters and opponents alike – will not accept being told by a Tory PM that we are not ‘allowed’ to choose our own future (& PS, you have a lot to learn about good public service delivery from the SNP gov)”.

Rory Stewart, another Tory leadership hopeful, also tweeted: “In everything we do and everything we say in this leadership race we should remember that the key is to unify the country and not divide the United Kingdom.”

The First Minister made the comments as the Referendums (Scotland) Bill was introduced at Holyrood, setting out the rules and regulations for any future vote.

The second half of 2020 has already been earmarked as a possible time for another Scottish referendum.

Ms Sturgeon had earlier said that it would be a “democratic outrage” if Westminster were to block Scotland from holding a second referendum.

The First Minister stated: “An independence referendum within this parliamentary term will give Scotland the opportunity to choose to be an independent European nation – rather than have a Brexit future imposed upon us.

“Throughout the Brexit process, Scotland has been treated with contempt by Westminster, and our efforts to find compromise and protect the interests of the people of Scotland, who voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, have been ignored.”