Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, has informed the legislature that she intends to hold a new referendum on Scottish independence on October 19, 2023.
The question to be asked will be the same as in Scotland’s 2014 independence vote: “Should Scotland be a country?” Ms. Sturgeon stated on Tuesday (local time).
The First Minister stated that she would write to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request authorization to hold the referendum, stressing the importance of the vote’s legality.
“The UK Supreme Court would be consulted on the matter,” she said.
About 5.5 million people in Scotland went to the polls, and they rejected independence in 2014. However, Scotland’s semi-autonomous administration claims that a second referendum is necessary because the majority of Scots opposed Britain’s decision to leave the EU.
Johnson and his ruling Conservative Party, which is currently in opposition in Scotland, are adamantly opposed to holding a referendum because they believe the issue was already resolved in 2014 when Scots rejected independence by a margin of 55% to 44%.
He has previously declined to issue a “Section 30” order allowing for the holding of a referendum.
There is a majority in favour of a fresh independence vote, despite the Scottish National Party not having gained total control of the Scottish Parliament due to the election of a record number of Scottish Green candidates.
Westminster authority over Scotland cannot be founded on anything other than a freely chosen alliance, according to Ms. Sturgeon.
It is time to offer the people the democratic option they have chosen, she continued, and with independence come the opportunity to build a more wealthy, just nation with our allies in the rest of the UK.
Ms. Sturgeon has come under fire from opposition parties for her “obsession” with conducting a fresh vote on independence. They claim she should be concentrating on issues that are more immediately relevant, such addressing the skyrocketing cost of living.
Scotland, like Wales and Northern Ireland, has a devolved government, its own parliament, and it sets its own laws regarding public health, education, and other issues. But issues like defence and fiscal policy are within the control of the UK government in London.
