Scotland to hold independence referendum in 2023

Picture: Nicola Sturgeon, File photo

Nicola Sturgeon has said she wants to have a “legal, constitutional referendum” on Scottish independence as she announced a new Bill is to be published at Holyrood for a consultative vote on the matter.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs the Bill will set out for a referendum to be held on October 19, 2023, with the question to be asked the same as in the 2014 vote “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

The date has been set for the people of Scotland to have a vote on independence, the 19th October 2023 #itstimeforindependence

— Ian Blackford (@blackfordian1) June 28, 2022

Sturgeon said she would be writing to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for permission to hold a consultative referendum, saying it was vital the vote was legal. She said the issue would be referred to the UK Supreme Court.

Voters in Scotland, which has a population of around 5.5 million, rejected independence in 2014. But Scotland's semi-autonomous government says Britain's departure from the EU, which was opposed by a majority of Scots, means the question must be put to a second vote.

Boris Johnson continues to believe it is “not the time to be talking about” a second referendum on Scottish independence, Downing Street has said while vowing to “carefully study” the Scottish Government’s proposal.

A No 10 spokesman said: “Our position remains unchanged that both ours and the Scottish Government’s priority should be working together with a relentless focus on the issues that we know matter to people up and down the country.

“That remains our priority, but a decision has been taken by the First Minister, so we will carefully study the details of the proposal, and the Supreme Court will now consider whether to accept the Scottish Government’s Lord Advocate referral”.

Asked whether the Prime Minister would open negotiations for independence in Scotland if Scots vote for it in a referendum in October 2023, the official said: “We’re obviously not going to get into hypotheticals”.

The spokesman was not sure whether Mr Johnson had received a letter from Nicola Sturgeon, but said the Prime Minister “continues to think it’s not the time to be talking about a referendum, but as I say, it’s important that we carefully study the details of the proposal and it’s for the Supreme Court now to look at the Lord Advocate referral”

Johnson and his ruling Conservative Party, which is in opposition in Scotland, strongly oppose a referendum, saying the issue was settled in 2014 when Scots voted against independence by 55% to 45%.

He has previously refused to issue a "Section 30" order to allow a referendum to take place.

More to follow...