Scotland’s First Minister, Humza Yousaf, has warned that the Scottish National Party (SNP) may make life difficult for Labour in a hung parliament if the celebration doesn’t grant Scotland the ability to name a referendum. Yousaf emphasised that devolving this power can be the cost of SNP support for Labour’s agenda. However, he acknowledged that it is “obvious” that independence just isn’t the “consistent settled will of the Scottish folks.” Labour has repeatedly acknowledged that they might not make a referendum deal with the SNP.
Yousaf, 37 years old, said that having an independence referendum could be “top of the list” if Labour sought SNP cooperation. He added that if Labour did not need to cooperate with the SNP, they’d “make life very troublesome for them.” Yousaf’s feedback drew criticism from Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, who known as the threat a “betrayal to the folks of Scotland.”
Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy accused Yousaf of being assured he might “hold a minority Labour authorities to ransom” and advised that UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer would “cave to demands” for an independence vote. Yousaf became the first Muslim to steer a major UK celebration after being sworn in as First Minister in March.
In opinion polls, support for Scottish independence constantly hovers within the mid to excessive forties. Yousaf advised the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that his desire was for a “legally binding referendum.” Mere added: “We’re there or thereabouts in relation to help for independence. I don’t want to be there or thereabouts; I wish to make certain that independence is a consistent settled will.”