| Author (Corporate) | Scotland: Government |
|---|---|
| Series Title | News |
| Series Details | 13.03.17 |
| Publication Date | 13/03/2017 |
| Content Type | News |
|
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on the 13 March 2017 that Scotland would seek a second referendum on independence once the terms of Brexit were known The people of Scotland must be offered a choice between a hard Brexit and becoming an independent country, she said in a speech. She confirmed plans to seek Scottish parliamentary approval later in March 2017 to begin discussions with the UK Government on the details of a Section 30 order to enable a second independence referendum to take place before the spring of 2019 On a day when the UK Government was expected to see the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill pass through its final stages in Parliament and be adopted, and thus allow the government to trigger the UK’s formal process to exit from the European Union, the First Minister said that, despite Scotland voting by 62% to 38% to remain in Europe, the UK Government ‘has not moved even an inch in pursuit of compromise and agreement’ since the Brexit vote. In addition, the First Minister said the UK Government had ruled out membership of the European Single Market ‘with no prior consultation’ and warned of real economic damage caused by the UK leaving the single market. Outlining how the democratic mandate for holding another referendum is ‘beyond doubt’, Ms Sturgeon said that the UK Government must stand by the position it took in 2014 that an independence referendum should be, in their words, ‘made in Scotland, by the people of Scotland.’ The First Minister added that there must be clarity on the implications of Brexit for Scotland – and clarity about independence – before the choice was put to the country. She therefore proposed that a referendum take place between the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019, when the shape of the UK’s Brexit deal would become clear. In a response the United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May accused Nicola Sturgeon of creating more 'uncertainty and division'. In the 14 March 2017 she said 'this is not a moment to play politics or create uncertainty and division. It is a moment to bring our country together; to honour the will of the British people and to shape for them a brighter future and a better Britain'. On the 16 March 2017 Theresa May said that there should not be a Scottish independence referendum before Brexit and said that 'now was not the time'. On the 14 March 2017 the Scottish Government cabinet agreed that the independence referendum should be ‘made in Scotland’, as it was in 2014. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said 'It should be up to the Scottish Parliament to determine the referendum’s timing, franchise and the question' ... There should be no strings attached, no blocking mechanisms applied and no Downing Street diktat – Scotland’s referendum must be made in Scotland'. For further information on Scotland after the EU Referendum held in June 2016 click here. For further information on the referendum on Scottish independence held in September 2014, and subsequent developments on the topic click here. |
|
| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://news.gov.scot/news/scotland-must-have-choice-over-future |
| Related Links |
|
| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | United Kingdom |
