Scottish First Minister, Humza Yousaf. Image from CNN.
Hilary Brown is a member of the SNP and a former researcher for previous party leader and First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. She voted for Humza Yousaf to be the new First Minister of Scotland and is hopeful for change in Scotland. She says, “He’s got a very difficult job to do”, however she is impressed by his policies, especially as he “continues to build the case for independence”.
The 2014 Scottish independence referendum allowed people as young as 16 to vote. Hilary has children who, by the summer, will all be sixteen. She hopes that should there be a second referendum, her children would get a say. Hilary says, “Sixteen year olds are well and truly old enough to make that decision.”
She emphasizes that young people are missing out on opportunities due to Brexit which Scotland as a whole voted against. She wants young people to be able to vote for Scottish independence so they can then re-join the European Union and take back the advantages of being a member.
In order to push for independence, Hilary stresses that pressure needs to be out on 10 Downing Street to make it “Impossible for them to say no” to another referendum. Despite it being a challenge, she does believe that another Scottish independence referendum is inevitable.