Scottish government seeks independence vote in October 2023

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would be writing to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for permission to hold a consultative referendum

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
Reuters London
1 min read Last Updated : Jun 28 2022 | 7:27 PM IST
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday that the Scottish parliament would publish an independence referendum bill with a planned date for a vote on secession to take place on Oct. 19, 2023.

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.

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.

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Topics :scotlandScottish referendumBoris Johnson

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