Humza Yousaf has said there is no prospect of another referendum on Scottish independence unless the opinion polls show “consistent majority support” in what one expert described as a “significant admission”.
Scotland’s First Minister was grilled by Peter McMahon, ITV Border’s Political Editor, yesterday days after delivering a keynote speech in which he branded the UK “the poor man of north-west Europe” while pledging “large scale” investment in competitive industries after independence.
Mr Humza’s speech notably did not set a timetable for a so-called IndyRef2, and would not be drawn on the subject with Mr McMahon either.
The journalist said: “Currently there’s no prospect of an independence referendum.”
Mr Yousaf replied: “I disagree, I absolutely disagree. Because we are sitting at around-about 50 percent.
“We have to make sure that we have consistent support, a consistent majority for independence, and then of course create the political conditions for that referendum.”
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Sam Taylor of pro-Union campaign group These Islands said: “Significant moment from last night’s @ITVBorderRB interview.
“Humza Yousaf tells @petermacmahon that another referendum won’t happen without consistent majority support in opinion polls.”
Speaking on Monday, Mr Yousaf said his speech was the first in a series he would deliver on the Scottish economy.
He said: “The working assumption is that there will be an absence of substantial policy debate at Westminster.
“And that may be a reason why the rhetoric in this election year is likely to be particularly fierce as Labour and the Tories throw ever more ugly insults at each other.”
He said he would strive towards a “deliberative process” in trying to persuade people on the merits of Scottish independence and those who believe otherwise should not be “dismissed”.
The SNP leader referred to a report from the Resolution Foundation looking at income inequality in the UK compared with other countries.
He claimed the average household would be £8,300 better off if the UK had the average income inequality of similar countries.
Using the same analysis for Scotland, Mr Yousaf said: “The prize for the typical Scottish household would be even greater, they would be £10,200 better off.
“That then, is the huge prize of independence.”
He pledged that an independent Scotland would see “large-scale public investment in key areas of competitive advantage”, as well as a Government department focused on industrial policy.
The First Minister claimed the UK’s living standards are “abnormally low” and the country is the “poor man of north-west Europe”.
Questioned after his speech, he acknowledged the economic changes in an independent Scotland would not happen overnight.
He said: “I’m not selling independence as being an overnight change, that somehow the day after we become independent there will be rivers of milk and honey and the manna will fall from the sky.
“There will be challenges, of course, there will be difficulties. It will be a transitional process.”
In contrast, he insisted the UK’s economic problems are “hardwired, it’s systemic”.
