Nicola Sturgeon proposes Scottish referendum to be held in October 2023

Scotland’s First Minister says she would like another referendum on Scottish independence on October 19 next year.

Nicola Sturgeon called for a ‘legal, constitutional referendum’ as she announced a new Bill to be published at Holyrood for a non-binding vote on the issue.

She told MSPs that the proposed question would be the same as in the 2014 vote, which asked ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’

Ms Sturgeon said she would be writing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to update him about the plan.

She also rejected suggestions from some nationalists to push ahead with a vote regardless of whether it was legal to do so or if she got permission from Westminster.

The First Minister added that she would make clear she is ‘ready and willing’ to negotiate the terms of a Section 30 order with Mr Johnson, which would give Holyrood the power to hold a referendum.

But the PM has repeatedly refused her calls for another referendum and is likely to make it difficult for the Scottish National Party leader to hold the vote.

Ms Sturgeon insisted: ‘What I am not willing to do, what I will never do is allow Scottish democracy to be a prisoner of Boris Johnson or any prime minister.’

She continued: ‘My determination is to secure a process that allows the people of Scotland, whether yes, no or yet to be decided, to express their views in a legal, constitutional referendum so the majority view can be established fairly and democratically.

‘The steps I am setting out today seek to achieve that.’

The move comes just eight years after 55.3% of the Scottish electorate voted ‘no’ to independence, in a vote dubbed a ‘once in a generation opportunity’ by Ms Sturgeon’s party.

This afternoon she said it was a ‘matter of principle’ that any referendum would be a legal ballot.

Catalonia held a referendum without a legal go ahead in 2017, which the separatists won even as Spanish police brutally stepped in to disrupt the vote.

But, outlining her bid to have an ‘indisputably legal referendum’, Ms Sturgeon added that the vote would be a consultative referendum, much like the 2016 Brexit vote.

She explained that majority backing would not by itself make Scotland independent, explaining: ‘For Scotland to become independent following a yes vote, legislation would have to be passed by the UK and Scottish Parliaments.’

Ms Sturgeon also said that the Scottish Government’s most senior law officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, had agreed to refer the matter to the UK Supreme Court, setting up a potential legal showdown with Westminster.

She explained that the process is underway ‘as I speak’ – saying that this ‘will be filed with the Supreme Court this afternoon’.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly said that the country’s focus should be elsewhere, with his Government suggesting the question of Scottish independence was settled less than 10 years ago.

If Westminster continues to refuse to grant permission for the vote and if no other lawful way was found for her Government to hold a new referendum, Ms Sturgeon pledged to fight the next UK general election on the single issue of independence.

She said: ‘If it does transpire that there is no lawful way for this parliament to give the people of Scotland the choice of independence in a referendum, and if the UK Government continues to deny a Section 30 order, my party will fight the UK general election on this single question, should Scotland being an independent country?’, she said.

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In the coming weeks and months, she pledged that her government would ‘make the positive case for independence… with commitment, confidence and passion’.

‘Let the opposition if they can make the case for continued Westminster rule and then let the people decide’, she added.

It is possible that Ms Sturgeon’s party could be in power at Westminster, if they have enough MPs to become kingmakers in a hung parliament.

Labour would appear to be a more likely coalition party, but its shadow secretary of state for Scotland suggested Ms Sturgeon’s push for an independence referendum in 2023 would keep the Conservative Party in power at the next general election.

Ian Murray tweeted: ‘The FM (First Minister) [says] “we must rid our country of this Tory govt”.

‘But we will use the next GE to keep them in power.

‘She’s given the game away.

‘Scottish politics is paralysed and this dead cat (independence referendum) strategy is to deflect from this FM’s appalling record in government.’

Downing Street said Mr Johnson continues to believe it is ‘not the time to be talking about’ a second referendum on Scottish independence.

But No 10 said it would ‘carefully study’ the proposal.

A spokesman added: ‘Our position remains unchanged that both ours and the Scottish Government’s priority should be working together with a relentless focus on the issues that we know matter to people up and down the country.

‘That remains our priority, but a decision has been taken by the First Minister, so we will carefully study the details of the proposal, and the Supreme Court will now consider whether to accept the Scottish Government’s Lord Advocate referral’.

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