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Nicola Sturgeon confirmed “preparatory work is underway” to enable a second referendum to be held – a commitment both the SNP and their Scottish Green Party partners in Government made in their manifestos for last year’s Holyrood elections. But Scottish independence author Professor Alf Baird has warned the SNP has failed to recognise what is dividing the nation. He explained that it boils down to whether Scots identify more as English or Scottish.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Independence Live, Professor Baird said: “The problem with Holyrood and even the SNP hierarchy is they’ve not identified yet the importance of culture and language to the independence question.<\/p>\n
“The independence question is entirely or very much related to national identity and that’s how the vote splits.<\/p>\n
“If looked at the Edinburgh research post-referendum data last time, it split largely down to which identity people believed they had more British or more Scottish and that is linguistically determined.<\/p>\n
“We have to remember our cultural hegemony, the people who manage the country are very much anglophone.<\/p>\n
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“The elitist Scotland report published a few years ago found that over half of people in the highest level positions come from private schools and they’re more anglophone.<\/p>\n
“I become more anglophone as an academic. I wouldn’t have been able to become an academic if I spoke Scots all the time.”<\/p>\n
It comes as independence would allow Scotland to take in more refugees, a government minister said, as she declared it is “time to have a conversation about what kind of country we want to be”.<\/p>\n
Scottish Green co-leader and circular economy minister Lorna Slater made the comments as the UK continues to face criticism for its efforts to help refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Ms Slater, who used her speech to her party’s conference at the weekend to insist that a “fairer, greener and independent Scotland” could offer “safety and solidarity to refugees”, confirmed on Sunday that the Scottish Government is still working towards having a vote on the future of the UK in 2023.<\/p>\n
The First Minister has insisted it is still her aim to hold such a ballot before the end of next year, despite the UK Government’s opposition.<\/p>\n
Ms Slater said: “We are working towards having an independence referendum next year.”<\/p>\n
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