Scotland to become independent within 20 years: Salmond

Reuters/London

Scotland will break away from the United Kingdom within 20 years, the defeated leader of the Scots nationalists predicted yesterday, after a poll showed a majority of voters would back independence if another referendum were held today.
In September, 55% of Scots voted to reject independence in a historic referendum after Britain’s three main UK-wide parties promised to grant greater devolution to Scotland in the event of a “No” vote.
But in a surprise poll on Saturday, 52% of those asked said they would now vote for a breakaway.
Disagreements over how much more power Scotland will get and over separate proposals to stop non-English lawmakers voting on matters that concern England in the British parliament have clouded the referendum’s aftermath, with the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) accusing other parties of backsliding.
Alex Salmond, the SNP’s outgoing leader who unsuccessfully spearheaded the independence campaign, said yesterday the desire for change was so strong, even among those who voted no, that independence was now inevitable.
Asked if he thought Scotland would become independent in the next 10 or 20 years, Salmond said “Yes”.
“The destination is set. But the number of stops along the way and the exact timetable I think that’s to be determined,” he told BBC TV. “It will actually be determined by the Scottish people.”
The SNP lost the referendum but has bounced back and its ratings remain high. A poll last Thursday showed 52% of voters planned to vote for the pro-independence party in a UK-wide election in May next year.
By contrast, the opposition Labour party, which campaigned against independence, faced a wipe-out in its traditional stronghold of Scotland, the same poll showed, raising doubts about the left-leaning party’s ability to unseat Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives.
With the May 2015 election shaping up to be the closest in modern British political history and neither Cameron’s Conservatives nor Labour currently looking like they can win an outright majority, the winner may need to rely on support from other parties.
Salmond yesterday ruled out a coalition with the Conservatives saying there was “no chance whatsoever” of such a tie-up. He said an alliance with Labour was “unlikely” but said circumstances could change.
Nicola Sturgeon, who will take over as SNP leader from Salmond, said widespread distrust of promises of greater Scottish devolution coupled with a desire for change were fuelling a continued appetite for full-blown independence. “There is a very, very strong mood for change in Scotland,” Sturgeon told Sky News. “If you take the 45% of people who voted ‘yes’ in September and add to that the many people who voted ‘no’ but did so on the promise of significant more powers for the Scottish parliament then what you have is a majority, arguably a very strong majority in Scotland for substantial change.”