There is a draft law for a new independence referendum

Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants to lead Scotland to independence – and take it back to the European Union. To do this, she wants to survey the population again.

Six weeks before the general election in Scotland, the regional government has introduced a bill calling for a new independence referendum. Voters are asked to answer the same question they answered in the 2014 referendum: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” The British government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson vigorously rejected a new referendum. Responsible Scottish cabinet member Mike Russell said on Monday that London had no democratic justification for withholding the vote if pro-independence parties win a majority in the May 6 election.

The timing of the questioning should be determined in the upcoming legislative period, Russell said. The people of the British part of the country should have the right to decide “how we want to recover from the pandemic and which country we want to live in after the crisis”. According to the bill, people over the age of 16 should be able to vote in the same way as foreign nationals eligible to vote in Scotland.

back to the EU with independence

In a referendum in 2014, a slim majority voted against independence. Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted that Brexit, which Scotland rejected, changed the terms. She wants to bring an independent Scotland back to the European Union. Until recently, supporters and opponents of secession were balanced in polls.

In the regional election, Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party (SNP) could count on a victory. However, it is not yet known to what extent the internal power struggle will reduce the chances of an absolute majority. A committee accuses Sturgeon of misleading Parliament. An independent legal opinion, which should be available soon, is conclusive.