In a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon formally requested permission for a second independence referendum. „Democracy must and will win,“ said Sturgeon today. It has already been made clear that Scotland does not want a Johnson-led Tory government to lead Scotland out of the EU.
So far, the central government in London has decided whether a referendum can take place in the British part of the country. Johnson had denied Sturgeon’s request several times. The Scottish head of government wants to hold the 2020 referendum.
Mostly against Brexit
Around 55 percent of the Scots had spoken out against a secession from the United Kingdom in a first referendum in 2014. However, Sturgeon says circumstances have changed as a result of the 2016 Brexit referendum. At that time, a small majority of the British voted to leave the EU. The Scots voted 62 percent against Brexit.
In the British general election last week, Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party (SNP) had rallied, winning 48 out of 59 seats in the country. The party therefore sees itself confirmed in its strive for independence.
