The last thing Scotland needs is a referendum

LAST week Nicola Sturgeon launched L her campaign for a second independence fewer than referendum, eight years since the one in which Scots voted "No" by 10 clear percentage points.

- By Douglas Ross

Ever since they lost, another referendum has always been the Nationalists' priority - though they have no legal power to call one and in pursuing it they have been happy to ignore the normal responsibilities of government.

Everything plays second fiddle to their independence obsession.

That's why education, health, local services and the Scottish economy have been neglected or disastrously mismanaged under their watch. And it's why a new referendum is the last thing Scotland needs right now.

Only a couple of weeks ago, the SNP's Finance Secretary Kate Forbes came before the Scottish Parliament to admit a huge hole in her sums amounting to billions of pounds. The result was a series of savage real-terms cuts to budgets that will undermine vital services, place a huge burden on hardpressed families and cost an estimated 17,000 jobs.

But in the midst of these figures - which saw Ms Forbes slashing or freezing funding for everything from the police and fire service to universities and roads she could still find £20million for, you've guessed it, a referendum drive.

As always, the SNP tried to blame the black hole in their finances on Westminster.

If something goes well they try to take credit for it regardless of whether it was their doing - and claim it just goes to show that Scotland should be independent.