AMID the ongoing cost-of-living crisis – where energy and grocery bills continue to soar and families across Scotland struggle – Nicola Sturgeon is pressing on with her divisive campaign to take Scotland out of the UK.

This has involved allocating millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on independence white papers, referendum planning and a Supreme Court bid to hold an ‘advisory’ referendum on independence which would carry no legal weight.

Sturgeon’s priority is clearly not the cost-of-living crisis: estimates by the London School of Economics suggest that Scottish independence would wipe at least £11 billion off the Scottish economy and reduce average incomes by between £2,000 and £2,800 per person every year.

In contrast, the UK Government has already unveiled £37 billion of support and our new Prime Minister Liz Truss is developing a bold and ambitious plan to support consumers and businesses, and to safeguard future energy supplies.

The Scottish Government bleats on about not having the powers to intervene, despite the fact we know they could be providing direct support to working families struggling with the cost of living.

I welcome the UK Government’s support for the cost of living and their plans to ensure we develop energy security. This is vital to keep bills down.

Yet in East Lothian, the SNP Government have used the planning system to ensure there will be no further net-zero energy production at Torness Power Station. We must remember that nuclear energy has helped to drive down energy costs in this region.

For this, and many other reasons, Nicola should drop her independence obsession in order to focus on supporting vulnerable people who are struggling with rising costs across Scotland today.