Nicola Sturgeon has launched a fresh drive for independence today, pledging a “listening exercise” on a second independence referendum.
Despite previously stating that it was ‘a once in a lifetime opportunity’, the First Minister said that it was ‘right’ to keep independence on the table.
Her speech came on the same day that a YouGov poll for The Times showed that most Scots do not want another vote on the break-up of the United Kingdom.
Local MSP John Lamont has backed calls for the SNP to stop pursuing their narrow-minded agenda and get back to the job it was elected to do.
Commenting, John Lamont MSP said: “The First Minister has shown today that she is prepared to ignore the priorities of the Borders, in pursuit of her own narrow nationalist agenda.
“If she was really listening, she would know that most of us don’t want to go back to another divisive referendum – we want Scotland to move on.
“If she was really listening, she would know that rehashing the referendum debate will only add a further cloud of uncertainty over Scotland’s future at the time when we need a government dedicated to security and stability.
“The First Minister is putting the interests of her party ahead of the interests of Scotland by cynically using the EU referendum result to try to create yet more division.
“I will continue to stand up for the vast majority of residents of the Borders who don’t want another divisive referendum.
John added: “My party’s focus will be to demand that this increasingly arrogant Nationalist government gets back to the day job it was elected to do – to improve our schools, our hospitals and to create jobs.”