Sturgeon: Bill for second independence referendum next week

Speaking at the SNP conference in Glasgow, Sturgeon said, “I am determined that Scotland will have the ability to reconsider the question of independence and to do so before the UK leaves the EU if that is necessary to protect our country’s interests."

In 2014, Scotland voted against independence from the rest of the UK, with the "No" camp securing 55% of the vote, but since the referendum on EU membership in June this year, when Scotland voted to remain by 62% to 38% compared to 52% Leave to 48% Remain across the UK as a whole, the country’s leaders have repeatedly expressed the desire for Scotland to maintain close ties with the EU.

One of the key sticking points ahead of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum was uncertainty surrounding an independent Scotland’s reapplication for membership of the EU, and the time such an unprecedented application would take.

In Glasgow, Nicola Sturgeon said a second referendum is in the best interest of Scots, and that seeking the best deal for the people of Scotland had been her single guiding principle since she learned of the results of the EU referendum. ■