Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil has warmly welcomed the statement from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon yesterday proposing a Referendum on Scottish Independence in October 2023.

The First Minister says there is an “indisputable” mandate for another vote after a majority of independence-supporting MSPs were returned in last year’s Holyrood elections.

Nicola Sturgeon has proposed October 19, 2023, as the date for the referendum and has confirmed this would use the same question as in 2014 – Should Scotland be an independent country?

Commenting Mr MacNeil said: “Scotland has a fantastic chance now to leave the madhouse that is Boris’s UK. Things are getting worse for Brexit UK all the time and when we compare Scotland with comparative countries, we see that these independent comparative countries have greater fairness; greater social mobility; less gaps between rich and poor; and generally, a better standard of living for their citizens. In Scotland we are no worse than these countries and in fact we have a lot of natural resources physical and of course in the minds of our people as one of the most educated populations in Europe.

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself and anybody making a rational decision would make the decision for independence. It is time to act rationally for yourselves, your communities and for your descendants.”