Nicola Sturgeon admits the SNP name is 'problematic'

Nicola Sturgeon would never have named her party the Scottish National Party (SNP) because of its "problematic" connotations, the First Minister of Scotland has reportedly revealed.

But Sturgeon, 47, said a rebrand is not on the cards because it would be "far too complicated" more than eight decades after the merger between the National Party of Scotland and the Scottish Party.

"What those of us who do support Scottish independence are all about could not be further removed from some of what you would recognise as nationalism in other parts of the world," she told the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Sturgeon added: "So, yes, words do matter but I think we can't change the connotations that the word has in other parts of the world, what we have to do is just demonstrate through words of our own, through deeds, through actions, through how we carry ourselves, that we stand for something completely different to all of that."

The comments, reported by STV News, come two months after Sturgeon shelved a plan to hold a second Scottish independence referendum after the SNP lost a string of House of Commons at the general election. The Conservatives saw a surge in support north of the border.

The SNP have always stressed that they a proponents of civic, rather than ethnic, nationalism. Sturgeon's remarks also follow the neo-Nazi and white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

US President Donald Trump was widely condemned for his initial response to the violence, which saw counter-protester Heather Heyer, 32, die after being struck by a vehicle allegedly driven by a white nationalist.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides," Trump said. The Republican later branded the neo-Nazis and KKK as "repugnant".

"Racism is evil, and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans," Trump said.