Sanjana Idnani
The First Minister has proposed that a “consultative referendum” on Scottish Independence should take place on 19th of October 2023. Scottish voters will be asked the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
Ms Sturgeon was speaking as the Scottish government published a bill containing its proposals for a second independence referendum.
The proposed question is the same question that was put to the Scottish people in 2014, when 55.25% of Scots voted against independence.
Nicola Sturgeon said that she would be writing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ask for formal consent for the vote to be held but she said that she would press on with delivering her plan for a second independence referendum in Scotland if this was not granted.
However, Ms Sturgeon has emphasised that the referendum would need to be lawful and constitutional. The First Minister suggested that she would be asking the Supreme Court to rule on the potential legal issues surrounding holding a vote without the UK Government’s approval.
“Opposition from the government and legal blocks are likely.”
Ms Sturgeon said that Scotland’s top law officer, the Lord Advocate, has agreed to refer the case to the Supreme Court, with court papers being served on Tuesday afternoon. The First Minister said she hoped the court would be able to “deliver clarity and legal certainty in a timely manner.”
Opposition from the government and legal blocks are likely. The UK government has stated in the past that “now is not the time” for another referendum and speaking ahead of the statement, Boris Johnson said the UK was “stronger working together.”
If the First Minister is unable to overcome these challenges to holding a constitutional and legal referendum, Ms Sturgeon has said that the SNP would fight the next UK general election as a “de facto referendum” by campaigning on the single issue of Scottish independence.
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Sanjana Idnani
Sanjana is an English literature student at the University of Bristol and an aspiring journalist. She is particularly interested in writing about the arts, climate change, and inclusivity!