Jason Moore10/05/2017 00:00
TW
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Has Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the Scottish Nationalists and First Minister, overplayed her hand? As I have said in past columns I admire Sturgeon but I think she has rather been outmanoeuvred by Prime Minister Theresa May. The SNP are not only fighting a general election campaign they are also having to defend their calls for a new referendum on independence. The Conservatives did well in Scotland in the local elections which were won by the SNP but Sturgeon dismissed the Tory result. She claimed that voters had just ditched Labour and voted Conservative. Yes, she might be right but Sturgeon has long claimed that the "English Conservative government" had no real representation in Scotland.

At the moment the Tories are the second party in Scottish politics and did well in the Scottish local and council elections. Yes, the Conservatives still only have one Member of Parliament in Scotland but there is a possibility that the Tories will take advantage of the uncertainty of many over a new referendum on Scottish independence and take more seats in the general election. I think May is right. A new referendum on Scottish independence should not even be considered until the Brexit negotiations are complete. Sturgeon says that a majority of people in Scotland voted to remain in the European Union but at the same time a majority, according to the opinion polls, are opposed to independence.