The Scottish Parliament has approved a motion calling for a new referendum on the region’s independence from the United Kingdom. The initiative was backed by a majority of MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) during a vote at Holyrood.
The document was passed thanks to a consolidated vote by representatives of the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Green Party parliamentary group. Opposition parties—the Conservatives, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats—voted against the initiative.
Proponents of the referendum insist that the geopolitical context has changed significantly following the UK’s departure from the European Union. They emphasize that in the 2016 plebiscite, the majority of Scotland’s population voted against Brexit, and a new referendum is essential to return the region to the EU.
Opponents of secession point to the results of the 2014 referendum, when 55% of Scots voted to remain part of the United Kingdom. The opposition states that the Scottish Government should focus on addressing crises in healthcare and the economy rather than on matters of sovereignty.
The Scottish Parliament’s approval of the motion does not automatically trigger a date for the plebiscite. Under the UK’s constitutional framework, a legally binding referendum requires the consent of the central government in London (via a transfer of powers under Section 30 of the Scotland Act).
The UK Government has previously stated repeatedly that it has no plans to agree to a second referendum, calling the 2014 vote a “once-in-a-generation event.”
Experts expect Holyrood’s decision to trigger a new phase of political and legal confrontation between Edinburgh and London.