Britain | A state of drift

Nicola Sturgeon’s modest record of reform

The SNP dreams of a new state but has done little to reform the one it runs

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (C) has a cup of tea as she visits the Broke not Broken foodbank in Kinross, south of Perth, central Scotland, on January 13, 2020, to thank volunteers. (Photo by Jane Barlow / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JANE BARLOW/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Homeward, to think againImage: Getty Images

The contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National Party (snp) has revealed an old tension between fundamentalists, who stress the pursuit of independence from Britain and nothing less, and gradualists, who think support for the cause is best built by accumulating powers and governing well. Ash Regan, the fundies’ candidate, favours using the next election as a de facto ballot on independence. Her rivals—Humza Yousaf, the health secretary, and Kate Forbes, the finance secretary—are more cautious. Mr Yousaf admits there is no “sustained majority” for divorce.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “A state of drift”

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