Douglas Ross: SNP are planning 'reckless' referendum
- Published
Douglas Ross said it was the "duty of all politicians to come together and focus on the national interest" during the pandemic
Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross has accused Nicola Sturgeon of putting her party before the pandemic by planning a "reckless" referendum.
Mr Ross outlined his criticism of the first minister in a speech responding to the SNP's roadmap for a second vote on independence.
The roadmap states a ballot will be called if a pro-independence majority is elected in May's Holyrood election.
The SNP described Mr Ross's comments as a "deeply hypocritical attack".
Depute leader Keith Brown said the Scottish government had "paused" work on independence last year - while the Tories had "ploughed ahead" with Brexit.
In his speech, external, Mr Ross said it was duty of all politicians to "come together and focus on the national interest" in a "time of crisis".
"That is what the public expect, so you can imagine the sheer outrage that many felt - myself included - when just over a week ago the SNP launched their 11-point plan to deliver another independence referendum," he said.
"Only days before that announcement, Nicola Sturgeon warned us of the seriousness of the situation we continue to face, and our infection rates, hospital capacity and weekly deaths are the close to the highest they've ever been.
"In what world is this the right time to be talking about independence and a referendum?"
The Moray MP, who was announced as leader of the party in August 2020, said the independence referendum was divisive in 2014 and "still is now".
"Publishing that plan was another attempt to reopen those deep scars on our nation," he said.
Mr Ross asked how the Scottish government could now "credibly argue" that the referendum announcement was "above party politics and in the interests of all of Scotland".
"Nicola Sturgeon is back to being SNP leader. She's no longer the first minister from the start of this pandemic," he added.
"There is no getting away from it, the announcement of this plan for another divisive referendum at this point in the pandemic was reckless and was irresponsible, needlessly damaging trust in the Scottish government when it's needed most."
'Post-pandemic choice'
SNP depute leader Keith Brown said the comments were a "patently ridiculous and deeply hypocritical attack from a party more interested in desperate soundbites than working constructively to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic".
"The Scottish government is absolutely focused on tackling the pandemic, which remains everyone's top priority, and paused work on independence last year at the start of the Covid crisis - unlike the Tories who disgracefully ploughed ahead with Brexit in the middle of the pandemic," he said.
"But the question is who the people of Scotland want to be in charge of rebuilding our country and economy, a Scottish government or a Westminster one led by the likes of Boris Johnson?
"And we are determined to give the people of Scotland that choice in a post-pandemic referendum."