Newly elected leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon has told supporters Scotland will become independent.
Ms Sturgeon said “new hope and opportunity” has already sprung from September’s referendum defeat.
A second independence vote could be closer some might imagine if the UK hurtles headlong towards European Union exit and if a pledge of more powers for Scotland is not honoured, along with reduced impact of more spending cuts.
Ms Sturgeon, who takes over from Alex Salmond as Scotland's first minister next Wednesday, delivered a coded warning to some of her most impatient pro-independence members that a second bid for independence could be years away.
“It will always be down to us to persuade our fellow citizens to take the next step forward and grasp the opportunity of independence,” she said, noting that 55 per cent of Scots rejected autonomy in the recent vote.
Scotland must secure additional powers for the Holyrood parliament in Edinburgh from the Smith Commission negotiations that are under way. The commission will draft legislation scheduled for presentation to the House of Commons by the end of January.
“We must win meaningful new powers and show that we can use them well. And by our actions and our achievements we will make and we will win the case for independence,” said Ms Sturgeon.
Sixty thousand people have joined the SNP since the referendum, swelling its ranks to more than 85,000. This puts its membership in Scotland ahead of what the Liberal Democrats have throughout Britain.
Ms Sturgeon will come under pressure from some within her ranks to set a date for a second referendum, though she is keen to be seen to respond to public demand for one, rather than foist it on them.
However, the ambition for independence remains undimmed. “Our country is alive, engaged, restless for the next stage of our journey; 1.6 million Yes votes for independence is an achievement our forebears could only dream of.
“But it becomes our base camp and from here the summit is in sight. The challenge is great, but . . . the prize is independence,” she said.
Paying tribute to her mentor, Sturgeon said Mr Salmond had set the bar high for all those who follow, whether as leader of the party or first minister.
“He has been a constant support, friend and mentor to me. As I prepare to succeed him, I know I could not have had a better teacher. He is a hero of our movement and a champion of our nation,” she told delegates in Perth.
