Scotland votes in favor of Independence Referendum
By Kamila Aliyeva
Brexit pushed Scotland to take new steps towards separation from Britain as the Scottish Parliament voted in favor of holding second referendum on independence.
By a vote of 69 to 59, members of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh approved plans to request a referendum on independence that could take place just before Britain completes its withdrawal from the European Union, a process known as Brexit.
The parliamentary majority, consisting of representatives of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Scottish Green Party, voted in favor of this government request.
Two-day parliamentary debate on this issue took place on March 21-22. The debate was to end with a vote, but it was postponed to March 28 due to the terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge in London.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May signed a letter to the EU on the launch of Brexit procedure on March 29.
The British government stated that it is not going to negotiate with Scotland about a new referendum on independence before Brexit, confirming the already stated position of London.
“It would be unfair to the people of Scotland to ask them to make a crucial decision without the necessary information about our future relationship with Europe, or what an independent Scotland would look like,” it said in a statement.
Earlier, the first Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that she will ask for permission to hold a second referendum on independence of Scotland. The referendum might take place in the period between the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019, according to Sturgeon. She stated that a referendum is necessary in order to protect the interests of Scotland after Britain's decision to leave the EU.
May has repeatedly said that she does not support the idea of a new referendum in Scotland. In response to objections, Sturgeon promised that in case of May's intransigence, she will announce new steps to prepare a referendum after May 16.
On June 23, 2016 about 52 percent of UK voters cast ballots to for the island nation to leave the EU. The full terms of the UK's exit have yet to be negotiated, but much hinges at stake.
Particularly, UK citizens and outside observers wonder whether Britain will keep some economic ties with the EU in the form of tariff-free trade, or whether the UK will trade with the EU like any non-EU country under rules stipulated by the World Trade Organization. Another issue is how migrants entering and leaving the UK will be treated.
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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
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