Scottish parliament votes in support of holding second independence referendum

The Scottish parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of a bid to hold the second independence referendum in light of Brexit between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, Sputnik reported.

As many as 69 lawmakers voted in favor, while 59 voted against.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is now able to officially ask the UK parliament for permission to hold a new vote in Scotland.

Last week, Sturgeon recalled that Scotland voted overwhelmingly against Brexit in last year's referendum, stressing that the country should not be taken out of Europe against its will.

In 2014, Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom, however, the 2016 Brexit vote showed that Scotland differed from England on the European Union membership, as it backed staying with the bloc by 62 percent against 38 percent.

Scotland is now split roughly in half on the issue of independence, according to the latest Ipsos MORI poll, in a significant change from 2014, when 55 percent voted against leaving the United Kingdom.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to initiate the talks on the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union on March 29. The UK parliament has already passed the government's Brexit bill unamended.

May's government has made strong statements against a mid-Brexit second Scottish independence referendum, while Sturgeon insisted that its timing for 2018-2019 would be "common sense" as an outline of a post-Brexit UK-EU deal would become clear by then and allow Scots to make a rational decision. </s> Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon says she will ask for permission to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence.

The BBC reports Sturgeon says the timing of another vote will be the Scottish Parliament to decide, with Sturgeon’s preferred timing for the referendum to be between autumn in 2018 and spring 2019.

She plans to ask the Scottish Parliament next week for permission to request a section 30 order from Westminster, which would grant the power for a legally binding referendum.

Speaking in Edinburgh today, Sturgeon says Scotland is at a “hugely important crossroads”.

She says: “I will take the steps necessary now to make sure that Scotland will have a choice at the end of this process.

“A choice of whether to follow the UK to a hard Brexit, or to become an independent country able to secure a real partnership of equals with the rest of the UK and our own relationship with Europe.”

Sturgeon adds: “The Scottish government’s mandate for offering this choice is beyond doubt.

“So next week I will seek the approval of the Scottish Parliament to open discussions with the UK government on the details of a Section 30 order – the procedure that will enable the Scottish Parliament to legislate for an independence referendum.”

In the EU referendum last year, Scotland voted 62 per cent in favour of remaining in the EU. In its original vote on independence in 2014, 55 per cent of Scottish voters opted against independence. </s> The Scottish government will publish a Bill for a second independence referendum within days, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Ms Sturgeon said the move was necessary in light of the Brexit vote so Scots can reconsider the issue “before the UK leaves the EU”.

She told delegates at the SNP conference in Glasgow that an Independence Referendum Bill is to be published for consultation by her government next week.

She also used her opening speech to send a firm message to UK prime minister Theresa May, stating: “If you think for one single second that I’m not serious about doing what it takes to protect Scotland’s interests, then think again.

“If you can’t - or won’t - allow us to protect our interests within the UK, then Scotland will have the right to decide, afresh, if it wants to take a different path.”

Almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of Scots voted to Remain part of the European Union, and Ms Sturgeon told Ms May: “Scotland didn’t choose to be in this situation - your party put us here.”

While Scots rejected independence in the referendum in September 2014, the SNP leader said in the run-up to that vote that Westminster leaders had insisted Scotland was “an equal partner in the UK”.

But in the wake of the European referendum in June, she said the moment has now come to prove it.

Ms Sturgeon told the conference: “I am determined that Scotland will have the ability to reconsider the question of independence — and to do so before the UK leaves the EU — if that is necessary to protect our country’s interests.

“So I can confirm today that the Independence Referendum Bill will be published for consultation next week.” </s> Nicola Sturgeon has called for a second independence referendum to take place within two years.

The First Minister said Scotland was at a "crossroads" as the UK Government prepared to trigger Article 50.

The earliest time for a vote would be the autumn of 2018, and the latest in the spring of 2019, she said.

She said she would seek for a Section 30 order which would transfer power for the vote to the Scottish Parliament.

The First Minister indicated there was little chance of a compromise with the UK Government on the issue of Scotland having a special deal to stay in the European single market.

Theresa May could begin the formal process of leaving the EU as early as Tuesday, following a vote at Westminster.

The UK Government has said that "another referendum would be divisive and cause huge economic uncertainty."

Speaking at Bute House, First Minister said: "Scotland stands at a hugely important crossroads.

"On the eve of Article 50 being triggered, not only is there no UK wide agreement on the way ahead - the UK Government has not moved even an inch in pursuit of compromise and agreement.

"All of our efforts at compromise have been met with a brick wall of intransigence.

"UK membership of the single market was ruled out with no prior consultation with the Scottish Government or with the other devolved administrations, leaving us facing not just Brexit, but a hard Brexit.

"And far from any prospect of significant new powers for the Scottish Parliament, the UK Government is becoming ever more assertive in its intention to muscle in on the powers we already have. The language of partnership has gone, completely."

She added: "The Scottish Government's mandate for offering this choice is beyond doubt. So next week I will seek the approval of the Scottish Parliament to open discussions with the UK Government on the details of a Section 30 order - the procedure that will enable the Scottish Parliament to legislate for an independence referendum.

"The UK Government was clear in 2014 that an independence referendum should be, in their words, 'made in Scotland, by the people of Scotland' - that is a principle that should be respected today.

"The detailed arrangements for a referendum - including its timing - should be for the Scottish Parliament to decide."

She stressed there should be "clarity" about the implications of independence.

She continued: "If I ruled out a referendum, I would be deciding - completely unilaterally - that Scotland will follow the UK to a hard Brexit come-what-may, no matter how damaging to our economy and our society it turns out to be."

Immediately following the Brexit vote last June, the First Minister said a second independence referendum was "highly likely."

Scots voted 62% to 38% to remain the EU while the UK as a whole voted to leave.

In the independence referendum in 2014, the vote was 55% to 45% in favour of staying in the UK.

The Scottish Parliament does not hold the power to organise an independence referendum and must gain permission from the UK Government to hold one through a legal instrument called a section 30 order.

The UK Government and several Scottish opposition parties have said there should not be a second vote on the issue.

A UK Government spokesman said: "As the Prime Minister has set out, the UK Government seeks a future partnership with the EU that works for the whole of the United Kingdom. The UK Government will negotiate that agreement, but we will do so taking into account the interests of all of the nations of the UK.

"We have been working closely with all the devolved administrations - listening to their proposals, and recognising the many areas of common ground, including workers' rights, the status of EU citizens living in the UK and our security from crime and terrorism.

"Only a little over two years ago people in Scotland voted decisively to remain part of our United Kingdom in a referendum which the Scottish Government defined as a 'once in a generation' vote.

"The evidence clearly shows that a majority of people in Scotland do not want a second independence referendum. Another referendum would be divisive and cause huge economic uncertainty at the worst possible time.

"The Scottish Government should focus on delivering good government and public services for the people in Scotland."

Responding to the First Minister's speech, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said "Scotland is already divided enough."

She said: "We do not want to be divided again, but that is exactly what another independence referendum would do.

"Two years ago, 85 per cent of Scotland's voters took part in the independence referendum and the result was a clear vote to remain in the UK.

"With our country facing all of the uncertainty around the Tories' reckless plans for a hard Brexit, the last thing we need is even more uncertainty and division.

"A clear majority of the people of Scotland voted to reject the SNP's false hope and lies, and backed working together with the other nations of the UK.

"The reality is that leaving the UK would mean turbo-charged austerity for Scotland, putting the future of our schools and hospitals at risk."

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said her party would oppose the move for a Section 30 order in the Scottish Parliament.

She tweeted: "Nicola Sturgeon has today chosen the path of further division and uncertainty."

Last week a poll for STV News found Scots certain to vote in another independence referendum were split 50/50 on the issue.

A poll published in the Herald newspaper on Monday suggested the split was 52% in favour of staying in the UK and 48% for leaving.

The BMG research found 56% were against the idea of holding an independence vote before the Brexit negotiations are finished.

Download: The STV News app is Scotland's favourite and is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from Google Play. Download it today and continue to enjoy STV News wherever you are. </s> EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) - Scotland's parliament is set to vote on a call by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a referendum on independence within two years.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will formally launch the U.K's two-year European exit process on Wednesday.

Sturgeon says Scots must be given the chance to vote on their future before Britain leaves the bloc. She says "Scotland's future should be in Scotland's hands."

Scottish Independence supporters drive past the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh ahead of the vote by Members of the Scottish Parliament to hold a second Scottish independence referendum Tuesday March 28, 2017. On Monday British Prime Minister Theresa May has met Scotland's leader Nicola Sturgeon for the first time since they faced off in a struggle over a new push for Scottish independence as the U.K. leaves the European Union. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)

But May, whose government must approve a legally binding referendum, says the time is not right.Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson agreed, saying Scots do not want "the division and rancor of another referendum campaign."

The Scottish parliament is likely to back Sturgeon's referendum demand in a vote on Tuesday, but it's unclear what could break the stalemate between Edinburgh and London.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, right, and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sit during their meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday March 27, 2017. May met with Scotland's leader Monday for the first time since they faced off in a struggle over a new push for Scottish independence as the U.K. leaves the European Union. (Russell Cheyne/ PA via AP) </s> Nicola Sturgeon caught Westminster off-guard on Monday (13 March) by calling for a second Scottish independence referendum. The first minister of Scotland was expected to make the move at the SNP's spring conference in Glasgow, which starts on Friday (17 March).

But with the Article 50 bill set to pass through parliament on Monday evening and Theresa May expected to trigger EU divorce talks on Tuesday, Sturgeon called the media to her official residence of Bute House in Edinburgh.

"I can confirm today that next week I will seek the authority of the Scottish Parliament to agree with the UK government the details of a Section 20 Order, the procedure that will enable the Scottish Parliament to legislate for a second Scottish interdependence referendum," she said.

"The UK government was clear in 2014 that an independence referendum should, in their words, be made in Scotland by the people of Scotland. That is a principle that should be respected today. The detailed arrangements of a referendum, including its timing, must be for the Scottish Parliament to decide."

Sturgeon added: "If Scotland is to have a real choice, when the terms of Brexit are known but before it is too late to choose our own course, then that choice must be offered between the Autumn of next year 2018 and the spring of 2019."

The comments come after an Ipsos MORI poll for STV News, of more than 1,000 respondents between 24 February and 6 March, found that Scottish people likely to vote were split 50/50 on the independence issue. Scots voted 55% against splitting from the rest of the UK in 2014.

But 62% of Scottish voters backed a Remain vote at the EU referendum in June, when the UK voted 52% to 48% to split from the economic and political bloc.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale warned that Scotland was "already divided enough". "We do not want to be divided again, but that is exactly what another independence referendum would do," she said.

"Two years ago 85% of Scotland's voters took part in the independence referendum and the result was a clear vote to remain in the UK.

"With our country facing all of the uncertainty around Brexit, the last thing we need is even more uncertainty and division."

However, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn caused controversy over the weekend by describing a second independence referendum as "absolutely fine".

"Well, if a referendum is held then it is absolutely fine, it should be held," he told the Press Assocation. "I don't think it's the job of Westminster or the Labour Party to prevent people holding referenda.

"I do think we should set it within the context of the economic relationship with the rest of the UK and the question of devolution of EU powers to English regions and to Scotland and to parts of Scotland rather than just to the government in Holyrood, because of the principle of regionalism is it goes to everybody within a region, not just to the central powers and the SNP have a bit of a tendency to centralise everything around themselves."

"As the prime minister has set out, the UK government seeks a future partnership with the EU that works for the whole of the United Kingdom. The UK government will negotiate that agreement, but we will do so taking into account the interests of all of the nations of the UK. "We have been working closely with all the devolved administrations - listening to their proposals, and recognising the many areas of common ground, including workers' rights, the status of EU citizens living in the UK and our security from crime and terrorism. "Only a little over two years ago people in Scotland voted decisively to remain part of our United Kingdom in a referendum which the Scottish Government defined as a 'once in a generation' vote. "The evidence clearly shows that a majority of people in Scotland do not want a second independence referendum. Another referendum would be divisive and cause huge economic uncertainty at the worst possible time. "The Scottish Government should focus on delivering good government and public services for the people in Scotland." </s> Support for independence remains higher than it was in 2014, a new poll has found, as Scotland today marks the second anniversary of the historic referendum.

Scots remain split down the middle on the issue of leaving the UK, the Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times finds with 48% saying they would vote Yes, while 52% want to remain in the union. This up from the 45% who voted Yes in the referendum two years ago today, while 55% said No.

But it finds that the post-Brexit spike in support for independence has fallen away, with about two-thirds of Scots opposed to another referendum being staged.

A series of events are being held around the country today, to mark the second anniversary, with pro-independence rallies being held in Glasgow and other cities, while pro-Union have stepped up their calls for a proposed second referendum to be abandoned.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today said that independence is more important than "oil, national wealth and balance sheets".

"Two years on from the historic vote of 2014, the fundamental case for Scotland's independence remains as it was," she wrote in an article for the Sunday herald newspaper.

"The case for full self-government ultimately transcends the issues of Brexit, of oil, of national wealth and balance sheets and of passing political fads and trends."

A rally of independence supporters is to be held at Glasgow Green. A relaunch will also take place in the city of the Scottish Independence Convention. Other events are taking place in Oban and Inverness, and a rally is also planned for Edinburgh later in the week.

Ms Sturgeon has said that a second referendum is "highly likely" in the aftermath of the Brexit vote and this month launched a "listening exercise" aimed at winning over wavering Scots to independence.

Opposition leader Ruth Davidson has responded by setting up her own taskforce to map out the possibilities for Scotland after Brexit - but as part of the UK. </s> A BILL for a second independence referendum will be published by the Scottish Government within days, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The First Minister said the move is necessary so Scots can reconsider the issue in light of the vote for Brexit and "to do so before the UK leaves the EU".

She told delegates at the SNP conference in Glasgow that an Independence Referendum Bill is to be published for consultation by her Government next week.
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She also used her opening speech to send a firm message to UK Prime Minister Theresa May, telling her: "If you think for one single second that I'm not serious about doing what it takes to protect Scotland's interests, then think again.

"If you can't - or won't - allow us to protect our interests within the UK, then Scotland will have the right to decide, afresh, if it wants to take a different path."

Almost two-thirds of Scots voted to Remain part of the European Union, and Sturgeon told Tory leader May: "Scotland didn't choose to be in this situation - your party put us here."

While Scots rejected independence in the referendum in September 2014, the SNP leader said in the run-up to that vote Westminster leaders had insisted Scotland was "an equal partner in the UK".

But in the wake of the European referendum in June, she said the moment has now come to prove it.
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Sturgeon told the conference: "I am determined that Scotland will have the ability to reconsider the question of independence - and to do so before the UK leaves the EU - if that is necessary to protect our country's interests.

"So I can confirm today that the Independence Referendum Bill will be published for consultation next week."

Meanwhile, bookies rate the chances of a second Independence Referendum before the end of 2024 as odds on and are offering just 1/3 on another vote with 9/4 available for those who don't believe it will happen.

However, they are less sure of the outcome with the book evenly split with William Hill offering odds of 10/11 that the vote will be in favour of Independence and the same odds that it will be against.
• SNP blast Tories for their 'xenophobic language' and claim it has left most people totally disgusted </s> EDINBURGH, Scotland – Scottish lawmakers voted Tuesday to seek a new referendum on independence, presenting the British government with an unwelcome distraction as it prepares to push the European Union exit button.

The Edinburgh-based legislature voted 69-59 to ask the British government to sanction an independence vote that would be held within the next two years. Outside, several dozen independence supporters bearing Scottish and EU flags broke into cheers and tears of joy as the news broke.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who asked lawmakers to authorize her to request the referendum, says Scots must be given the chance to vote on their future before Britain leaves the European Union. British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to launch the U.K’s two-year process of exiting the EU on Wednesday by triggering Article 50 of the bloc’s key treaty.

Britain as a whole voted to leave the bloc in a referendum last year, but Scots voted by a large margin to stay.

“Scotland’s future should be in Scotland’s hands,” Sturgeon told lawmakers before the vote.

Scottish voters rejected independence in a 2014 referendum that Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party called a once-in-a-generation vote. But Sturgeon says Brexit has changed the situation dramatically.

She says there should be a new vote on independence between fall 2018 and spring 2019, when details of Britain’s divorce terms with the bloc are clear.

Sturgeon said that whatever the final terms, Brexit would mean “significant and profound” change for Scotland.

“That change should not be imposed upon us,” she said. “We should have the right to decide the nature of that change.”

May, whose government must approve the referendum for it to be legally binding, says the time is not right. She says all parts of the U.K. — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — must pull together to get the best-possible deal with the EU.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson agreed, saying Tuesday that Scots do not want “the division and rancor of another referendum campaign.”

The Scottish parliament had been due to vote on Sturgeon’s referendum demand last week, but the session was adjourned after Wednesday’s extremist attack in London.

Sturgeon’s referendum call was backed by the governing Scottish nationalists and the Greens, and opposed by the Conservative and Labour parties.

It’s unclear what could break the stalemate between Edinburgh and London. British officials have indicated they would not agree to another independence referendum until Britain’s EU exit is over and done with — a process that could take longer than two years.

David Mundell, the British government’s Scotland minister, said the U.K. government would not be “entering into negotiations on whether there should be another independence referendum during the Brexit process.”

“It’s not appropriate to have a referendum whilst people do now know what the future relationship between the U.K. and the EU will be,” he said.

Sturgeon said after the vote that she would “seek sensible and constructive discussion” with the British government later this week.

“I hope the United Kingdom government will respect the view of parliament,” she said. “This is simply about giving people in Scotland a choice.”

Should that fail, Sturgeon promised to inform the parliament of next steps after its Easter break next month.
Lawmakers in the Scottish Parliament vote in favor of holding a second independence referendum for the country within two years.