I wonder if our First Minister actually feels this “increasing pressure” that she’s supposedly under, or if it is no more than a conceit of the media to suppose they might have the power to put her under such pressure. I suspect Nicola Sturgeon is far more relaxed about things than suits the purposes of the sensationalist press.
Why shouldn’t she be relaxed? She has a strong mandate. She is secure in her position, both as First Minister and party leader. She is extremely popular in the country and has the support of a huge, well-organised party.
She is personally capable and backed by superb teams at Holyrood and Westminster.
Most importantly, Nicola Sturgeon has a plentiful supply of that most precious of political resources – options. She knows that she can call the next independence referendum at a time of her choosing. While it may be all but impossible to pin down a definitive right time, she has the relative luxury of being able to avoid all the obvious wrong times.
Nobody is going to force her hand.
She knows that whenever she calls that referendum a massive grass-roots campaign machine stands ready to swing into action. An impressive network of individuals, groups and organisations which has learned lessons and honed skills and sharpened techniques.
She can see the panic, fear and confusion among British nationalists. She can see how discredited the anti-independence campaign is due to the appalling conduct of Better Together/Project Fear.
She knows that the credibility of the British parties and the Unionist media has been utterly destroyed by developments in the aftermath of the first referendum. Like pretty much everybody else, she can see how weak and inept the UK Government is.
She knows that Scotland’s independence movement is poised to win.
I reckon Nicola Sturgeon can afford to be fairly relaxed.
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So far, she hasn’t put a foot wrong (in my opinion). The ones panicking are the British Nationalists, because they are uncertain. She is keeping her cards close to her chest, and all they can do is guess.
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Nicola has waited a long time for this, has been trained well and over many years.She can trust those around her and will be receiving good feedback from her MSPs and activists and from her MPs at Westminster. She can afford to ramp up the pressure on May.
I see Joan McAlpine and her committee are off to Europe to assess Scotland’s options. Wonder how SLab people on the committee would react if they were greeted with assurances that an indy Scotland could remain in EU. Bet that’s something the BBC and British media won’t cover.
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Ahhh…I can detect the wafting scent of ordure drifting from the serried ranks of the Unionist “masses” of troughers across their castes and from their threatened sinecures secured on WM’s and its satellites’ patronage.
In effect, I can smell BritNat shite.
Meantime, the FM and her ScotGov team ably supported by our MPs at WM look fit and fresh and ready to rumble at a time of our choosing and not theirs.
Throw a little Trump into the mix and WM’s Mayday fawning towards the former given the Brexit Erse courtesy of Diddy Divit Cameron and the Uber Chauvinist Tory Trolls ‘n Kippers, and sod the popcorn, am laying in crates of the finest Glengoyne the better to enjoy the show.
Maybe, the Eurovision Song Contest could create a special category for them?
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