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Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Paul Hutcheon

SNP deputy Keith Brown pledges 'updated and detailed' case for Scottish independence will be published

SNP depute leader Keith Brown has told his party to expect a new blueprint for independence.

Keith Brown also suggested Prime Minister Boris Johnson will bow to pressure and grant indyref2 and claimed the “future of our planet” depends on independence.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she wants a second referendum to be held by the end of 2023, covid permitting.

But some independence activists are sceptical about the strategy as UK Ministers have flatly ruled out a joint deal - a key element of the vote in 2014.

A refusal by Westminster would leave the SNP-Green government with the option of introducing a Holyrood-only bill, but this would likely be challenged in the courts.

In a speech to the SNP’s annual conference, Brown, who is also Justice Secretary, echoed many of the points Sturgeon has made recently on independence.

He said: “The whole Westminster system is quite clearly broken beyond repair. We are focused on delivering for the people in every part of Scotland. And as we look to the future we'll urge the people of Scotland to think about what kind of country they want to live in when the pandemic is over.

“Who is best placed to make decisions affecting their lives? Who is most committed to making Scotland a fairer, more prosperous nation?”

Although the pandemic is not yet over, and with experts warning of a new mutation of the virus, Brown said the party will make the case for independence “in the months ahead”.

He said: “I can tell you this, that independence campaign is well underway.”

On a refreshed case for independence, he said: "Just two months ago, back in September, our First Minister made a hugely significant announcement. The Scottish Government is resuming its crucial work on an updated and detailed prospectus for independence.

“And that new government work will be essential to help voters make their fully informed choice, and we await the delivery of that new prospectus with eager anticipation.”

He also said of the Owen Paterson scandal, in which Johnson’s Tory Government tried to help an MP who broke the rules on lobbying and then u-turned: “What we do know is that Boris Johnson always bows to pressure.”

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