Scottish Prime Minister: We want a referendum on independence

Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sterzon has said a second referendum on the province’s independence from the United Kingdom should be held in the first part of the next local parliament’s term, which begins next year.

“The referendum for a number of reasons should be held in the first part of the next parliament term,” said the leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).

55% of Scots voted against Scottish independence from Britain compared to 45% in a 2014 referendum, but Brexit and the British government’s handling of the new coronavirus pandemic have boosted the proportion of citizens who support independence.

The most recent 14 polls show that Scots support independence. These show that the support rate ranges from 51-59%, although views on Scottish independence have been volatile in recent years, with most polls in 2017-2019 showing that Scots are opposed to independence from the United Kingdom.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) is expected to win the local elections in May. The SNP will argue that its victory in these elections constitutes a mandate for a second independence referendum.

The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stated that the 2014 referendum was crucial and he described it as a fact that happens only once in each generation and therefore should be respected. At the same time, his government has said that no referendum should be held in the near future.

However, if Sturgeon wins the local elections in Scotland on 6 May, Johnson will have to make a difficult choice: to reject a referendum and thus allow the Scottish discontent to continue to simmer or to allow it to run the risk. to dissolve the union which, as he states, is so dear to him and his party.

Today the United Kingdom includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Britain as a whole voted 52% in favor of leaving the EU compared to 48% in the referendum held in 2016. However, Britain and Wales individually voted in favor of Brexit, while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted in favor. stay in the EU

Source: Reuters