Source:
https://scmp.com/news/world/article/1061834/scotland-signs-deal-independence-referendum
World

Scotland seals terms of historic independence vote

British Prime Minister David Cameron shakes hands with Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond outside at St Andrews House in Edinburgh on Monday. Photo: AFP

Scotland on Monday set up a historic independence referendum after its leader signed an agreement with Britain’s prime minister finalising arrangements for a vote which could lead to the demise of its three-centuries-old union with England.

Scotland’s drive for sovereignty, led by its nationalist leader Alex Salmond, echoes separatist moves by other European regions such as Catalonia and Flanders at a time when a crisis-hit European Union is undergoing deep changes to its identity.