Sharp internal disagreement on the matter

The second Scottish independence referendum will complicate Britain's political landscape

The Sturgeon party believes that leaving the European Union has harmed the interests of their country.

archival

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recently announced that her government wants another nationwide referendum on independence from the United Kingdom.

She suggested that the vote should take place on October 19, 2023. There would be a lot of controversy and political skirmishes, to be carried out from time to time, so that the vote could actually take place and be meaningful.

Any future British government, following the resignation of the current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, shall give permission to proceed with the vote;

But "no such consent will be given by Westminster," Politico reported.

However, Sturgeon plans to move forward anyway.

The report adds, "British rule over Scotland cannot be based on anything other than an agreed, voluntary partnership."

Independence could lead to the disintegration of a long-standing relationship, as Scotland has been part of Great Britain since 1707.

vote

In 2014, the Scots were asked to vote to secede from the United Kingdom, and the attempt failed by a margin of 55-45%.

This was supposed to be a "once in a generation" chance for independence, but the independence-seeking Scottish National Party has spent years since garnering "support for a re-referendum," says William Marks of NPR.

And earlier this month, based on a series of reports, the Scottish first minister asserted that an independent Scotland would be "richer, happier and more just".

Secession from the United Kingdom would give "the decisive decision-making power of the people who live here", not the decision of officials in London who "pursue policies, for example, Brexit, which are seriously detrimental to the interests of Scotland".

Sturgeon suggests that "other countries in northwest Europe, regardless of size, often outperform the United Kingdom, on a set of key measures of well-being."

She concludes, “If the status quo is not working, we must look for the best way to fix it.” Her answer is clearly independence.

Two years after Scottish voters decided to stay in the United Kingdom, the kingdom's voters decided to leave the European Union.

Scotland, however, voted to stay.

Why?

Because the European Union has spent recent decades financing improvements in Scotland;

As part of an effort to help the union's poorer regions catch up with richer nations, at the same time the United Kingdom transferred some of its powers to the provinces.

Elliot Ross, in The Atlantic, wrote in 2019: “The twin factors of the European Union’s greater role in Scotland, and the transfer of powers to Edinburgh, helped to strengthen Scottish nationalism,” he continued, “Brexit from the European Union will witness Scotland’s exit from Europe despite of our will.”

The pandemic played a role, too.

Like former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the United States, Sturgeon held regular briefings, were popular with the public, and support for independence began to rise.

Johnson's own problems stemming from the pandemic - the "Party Gate" scandal - also gave way to a referendum.

A poll conducted by The Scotsman in January found that more than half of respondents believe the issue has hurt the cause of Remain.

But opinion polls, too, suggest that the latest independent effort may be suspicious.

An Ipsos poll last May gave a slight majority (51%) of voters who wanted to stay in the UK.

The first minister's first act would be to try to bypass the British government.

Sturgeon has asked Scotland's chief legal expert to go to the UK's Supreme Court, to get a ruling on whether the Scottish Parliament alone has the power to hold a statutory advisory referendum.

If that doesn't work, Sturgeon plans to take the issue directly to UK voters, and her party will contest the next UK general election on the question of independence alone.

Even if the referendum was successful, this does not mean that independence is automatic.

According to the Sky News report, "the legislation must be passed by both the parliaments of the United Kingdom and Scotland to activate the decision."

stay inside the kingdom

However, there are still a number of Scots who want to stay in the UK.

"The Conservative Party, the largest opposition party in the Scottish Parliament, has said it would boycott any unilaterally called referendum," Rodney Jefferson wrote in Bloomberg.

The Conservatives will prove that rather than spending time and effort on independence, "the Scottish first minister should focus on improving health and education".

Either way, the referendum is sure to be a hotly debated topic for a year or more.

And the results may be historic, as Sturgeon admitted a few days ago: “It is time, at this crucial moment in history, to discuss and decide the future of our country.”

The European Union has spent recent decades financing improvements in Scotland;

As part of an effort to help the union's poorer regions catch up with richer nations, at the same time the United Kingdom transferred some of its powers to the provinces.

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