Jardine marks passing of Nicola Sturgeon’s proposed second independence referendum date

Marking Nicola Sturgeon's proposed date for a second independence referendum (19 October 2023), Liberal Democrat Scottish Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

"Today marks yet another promise the SNP didn't keep and are keeping quiet about.

“At least this time the majority of Scots will be happy with the outcome since there is no appetite for another referendum when we have a cost-of-living crisis and long waits in the NHS to tackle.

"The nationalist leadership's bid to fire up their party activists and buy themselves more time has thoroughly backfired.

"I suspect their latest cunning plan announced at conference will be consigned to the same bin.

"Now that it's obvious that they were being strung along about the timeline for breaking up the UK, perhaps the nationalist base will start to question the lies their leadership have told them over other issues like pensions, borders and energy.

"The bitterness and division of the 2014 referendum has still not faded away. I cannot understand why the SNP are so determined to set their countrymen and women against one another again.

"The nationalists have made an appalling mess of running Scotland. It's time for a change. Scottish Liberal Democrats are relentlessly focused on the real issues that matter to people like the cost-of-living crisis and access to local health services.

"Fortunately the only vote that matters today is in Mid Bedfordshire where the Liberal Democrats are the main challengers looking to defeat the Conservatives.”