Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish independence less risky than remaining part of UK - by Simon Johnson

The Scottish flag

Nicola Sturgeon has warned Scotland remaining part of the United Kingdom is a riskier option than independence as she attempted to persuade Labour voters to gamble with a ‘yes’ vote in September’s referendum.

The Deputy First Minister used the Nationalists’ first major intervention of 2014 to try and turn the tables on the unionists, who have repeatedly highlighted uncertainty over issues such as a separate Scotland’s currency.

With the independence ‘phoney war’ over and the marathon referendum debate entering the home straight, she made her most overt pitch yet to Scotland’s Labour heartlands by arguing separation is more in tune with the party’s socialist traditions than a no vote.

 But unionists said the Scottish Government’s long-awaited White Paper on independence had failed to answer “the most basic questions” and the Nationalists were struggling to persuade even their own supporters.

Her ultimatum came the week after the head of the CBI in Scotland accused SNP ministers of a “reprehensible” attempt to discredit him rather than answer his members’ questions about independence.

Read more: Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish independence less risky than remaining part of UK - Telegraph