| Author (Corporate) | Scotland: Government |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Press Release |
| Series Details | 20.03.17 |
| Publication Date | 31/03/2017 |
| Content Type | News |
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The Scottish Parliament held a debate and vote on the 21-22 March 2017 on the motion: 'That the Parliament acknowledges the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs and therefore mandates the Scottish Government to take forward discussions with the UK Government on the details of an order under section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998 to ensure that the Scottish Parliament can legislate for a referendum to be held that will give the people of Scotland a choice over the future direction and governance of their country at a time, and with a question and franchise, determined by the Scottish Parliament, which would most appropriately be between the autumn of next year, 2018, when there is clarity over the outcome of the Brexit negotiations and around the point at which the UK leaves the EU in spring 2019'. In the event the vote on the motion was delayed on the 22 March 2017 due to the suspension of the sitting in respect of the terrorist incident in London on that day. The vote instead took place on the 28 March 2017. Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) voted by 69 to 59 in favour of seeking permission for a referendum before the UK left the EU. On the 31 March 2017 the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sent a letter to the Prime Minister Theresa May to request early discussions to allow a referendum on independence to take place in Scotland. The letter also expressed the frustration of Nicola Sturgeon that the process leading up to the invoking of Article 50 had failed to involve the devolved administrations in any meaningful way. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://news.gov.scot/news/will-of-scotlands-national-parliament-must-be-respected |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | United Kingdom |
