Nicola Sturgeon responds to Theresa May's Brexit speech
Two leaders in disagreement
The ghost of Scottish independence thought to have been put to bed which saw the resignation of Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond (who now is an SNP MP at West Minister) and the coming to power of Nicola 'Queen of Scots' Sturgeon when Scots voted to stay in the UK has risen from its grave to haunt the UK again.
Theresa May delivered a 'Hard Brexit' speech yesterday to assembled European and other ambassadors outlining her government's policy on Brexit.
She made it clear, no ifs, no buts, the UK would be leaving the EU in a clean break which would give the UK control of its own borders. This would enable the UK to control the number of immigrants coming from Europe that have made the UK their home thanks to the open border policy of the EU.
Of course the UK would still be able to trade with the EU but not as it was when it was a member and is seeking trade deals beyond the EU even as I write this. Of course Donald Trump recently said the UK would be first in line for trade but apparently the UK if I understand it right is not allowed to trade with anyone outside the EU until we are properly gone. This process will take time however and May is not invoking 'Article 50' until March this year which will start the unraveling of the UK from the EU.
Nicola Sturgeon hoped the UK and especially Scotland would stay in the EU and even though Scots largely voted in favour of staying in it was not to be. England and Wales tipped the balance for the UK leaving the EU and Sturgeon went running to Europe after the vote to leave to see if the EU could help Scotland stay in as the rest of the UK will leave the EU in the future. It was not to be and while Scotland is part of the UK Sturgeon can do nothing and when she met May last year after the vote to leave it seemed May was considering allowing Scotland to be part of the UK and part of the EU. Despite the rest of the UK no longer being in the EU come 2019/20 probably.
Now it seems in her speech yesterday there was no mention of Scotland being a member of the UK and EU in her plans to leave the EU. When interviewed by the BBC yesterday Sturgeon said a second independence vote was inevitable now and said she felt Scotland's future as a nation should be on a different tack to the rest of the UK.
Despite the fact polls last year indicated many Scots did not want a second vote for self rule could things have changed in the light of May's hard Brexit speech well time will tell.
Short bio of Nicola Sturgeon
1) Born from working class roots in July 1970
2) Came into the world at Ayrshire Hospital, Irvine, Scotland
3) Is approximately 1.63 m tall
4) Married Peter Murrell in 2010
5) Her parents are Joan and Robin Sturgeon
6) Full name on her birth was Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon
7) She resides at the home of Scottish First Ministers Bute House, Edinburgh
8) Attended Glasgow University between 1992 - 1993
9) Is First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the SNP or Scottish Nationalist Party
10) Held a number of positions in the Scottish government before following Alex Salmond as Leader of the SNP and Scottish First Minister in the wake of Scots voting to stay in UK
