Last thing Scotland needs now is a second independence referendum

At this moment in time Scotland needs good governance more than it needs a referendum, writes Therese Raphael

Nicola Sturgeon's insistence that #indyref2 be legal and constitutional to protect Scotland’s international reputation neatly trolls Boris Johnson, who is ripping up the UK’s treaty with the European Union in Northern Ireland. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA

Should Scotland leave the United Kingdom? Scots voted “no” to that question eight years ago. But Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants to put it to them again next year and she announced a new independence vote on October 19, 2023.

She knows the bid to take her case to the UK Supreme Court is a long shot. And a referendum wouldn’t necessarily be in her Scottish National Party’s best interest — at current polling, the SNP would lose the vote, and what then would the point be of the party at all?