As Brexit looms around the United Kingdom, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced she may ask for approval to have another independence referendum. From CNN:
Sturgeon said it was clear that the UK was heading for a “hard Brexit” to the detriment of Scotland, and that Scottish voters deserved a choice of remaining in the European Union as part of an independent nation.Her announcement came as the British government prepared to fire the starting gun of leaving the European Union.
Scotland attempted an independence referendum in September 2014, but 55% of the voters chose to remain with the United Kingdom.
But they have an opportunity to change that now. The European Union Referendum last summer, known as Brexit, took everyone by surprise. The news outlets and political leaders had everyone believing that the UK would remain in the EU. However, the final vote showed otherwise as over 17 million voted to leave.
But the majority of Scotland voted to remain, 62% to 38%.
So maybe this time around the people of Scotland may change their mind:
Speaking at Bute House in Edinburgh she said: ‘In my view it is important that Scotland is able to exercise the right to choose our own future at a time when the options are clearer than they are now, but before it is too late to decide our own path.’—Ms Sturgeon said: ‘The timing of the Brexit negotiations are not within the control of the Scottish Government. However, we must plan on the basis of what we do know now and what we know is that on the timetable set out by the Prime Minister, the shape of the Brexit deal will become clear in the autumn of next year ahead of ratification votes by other EU countries.‘That is therefore the earliest point at which a referendum would be appropriate.’
Sturgeon will ask the Scottish Parliament next week for permission “to request a Section 30 order from Westminster – required to allow a referendum to be held.” If the votes happens, Scotland will hold it between autumn of 2018 and spring of 2019.
The two parliament houses will vote on the withdrawal bill soon. If it passes, then Prime Minister Theresa May will invoke Article 50 to start the process. Once invoked, the kingdom has “a two-year window in which to hammer out a divorce deal with the other 27 EU governments.”
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