Scotland has proposed holding a new independence referendum in October 2023. And - even without the consent of Great Britain

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has proposed holding a second referendum on the country's independence from the UK on October 19, 2023. She promised to take all necessary legal steps to ensure that the vote would take place even if the British government tried to block it.

The referendum is scheduled to put the same question as in 2014: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

According to Sturgeon, she wrote to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking that the Scottish Parliament be given the power to hold a consultative referendum. In the event of a refusal, the First Minister approached the Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, Scotland's chief lawyer, in advance to consider going to the Supreme Court.

Dorothy Bain has already given her consent and intends to challenge the rule that requires the consent of the prime minister to hold a referendum. If the court sided with the British government, then, as Nicola Sturgeon said, the Scottish Independent Party will take part in the next general election in the UK, which in itself will become a de facto referendum.

“What I don’t want to do and what I will never do is not let Scottish democracy be held hostage by Boris Johnson or any other prime minister,” Nicola Sturgeon said.

• A consultative referendum will not make Scotland immediately independent. After the vote, the parliaments of Great Britain and Scotland will have to pass the relevant laws.
• The last independence referendum took place in 2014 and was rejected by a narrow margin. With the UK leaving the EU against the will of the majority of Scots, the Scottish Government sees the need to raise the issue again.
• Johnson himself and the British Conservative Party strongly oppose the referendum. They say the vote took place in 2014 and 55% of the Scots were against detachment, so the issue should be considered settled.