Scotland’s parliament votes for new independence referendum

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Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks in the chamber on the second day of the 'Scotland's Choice' debate on a motion to seek the authority to hold an indpendence referendum, as the Scottish Parliament approved the bid. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:30am, 29 Mar 2017Updated: 1:01am, 29 Mar 2017

The Scottish parliament on Tuesday backed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s bid for a new independence referendum, further complicating Britain’s political situation just as years of talks on the terms of Brexit were about to begin.

The United Kingdom’s vote last year to exit the European Union has strained ties between its four constituent parts because England and Wales voted to leave while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain.

The Edinburgh legislature’s vote backing Sturgeon’s bid for a referendum in late 2018 or early 2019 came a day before British Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, the first formal step towards Brexit.

A file picture dated September 2014 shows a Scotsman wearing a traditional kilt walks through the Royal Highland centre during the Scottish referendum in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain. The Scottish parliament on March 28, 2017 passed a motion that approves the plan of Scottish First Minister Sturgeon to negotiate on a second independence referendum. Photo: EPA

It is far from certain that the British government will authorise a new independence vote. May has said “now is not the time” and insisted her focus was on getting a good Brexit deal that would work for every part of the UK.

“Scotland, like the rest of the UK, stands at a crossroads,” Sturgeon told the Edinburgh assembly at the start of Tuesday’s debate.

“When Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered tomorrow, change for our country becomes inevitable ... There will be an impact on trade, on investment and on living standards, and an impact on the very nature of the society we live in.”