Indyref2 is '˜a waste of time' says ex-SNP chief

A second independence referendum would be a 'waste of time', a former SNP leader has warned.

Gordon Wilson: Questions on economy must be answered. Picture: contributed

Gordon Wilson, who was at the party’s helm throughout the 1980s, said question marks over Scotland’s economy must be answered before Nicola Sturgeon stages another vote on leaving the UK.

He suggested the timescale for a second referendum could be anything between “five and 20 years” away.

“My own view is that a second independence referendum isn’t really on,” he said yesterday.

But a perceived raw deal for Scotland on Brexit could alter the picture.

“The only thing that would change things is if there was a sudden upsurge in the opinion polls from people wanting a second referendum, and more to the point be prepared to vote for independence if Scotland doesn’t get what they think it should get,” he said.