How Infighting Threatens Scotland’s Independence Drive

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s feud with her predecessor and former mentor, Alex Salmond is threatening to undermine her pro-independence Scottish National Party at a time when it desperately needs to keep momentum. She faced a grilling at a parliamentary inquiry on March 3 over her role in the mishandling of a case against him, part of a probe that includes an allegation that she misled parliament. That’s a charge that could force her to quit just as the party is gearing up for elections that may pave the way for a second independence referendum.

The drama has been unfolding just weeks before a May 6 election in the country that could prove critical for the future of the whole U.K. Polls show the SNP is on course for a majority that Sturgeon says will reinforce her mandate to pressure U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a further plebiscite on leaving the three-centuries-old union with England and Wales. An Ipsos MORI poll published Feb. 25 showed the SNP would win a record 72 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, though the pollster warned the inquiry into the handling of harassment complaints against Salmond was starting to register with voters. Support for Scottish independence declined to 52% from 56% in November.