Scottish parliament to debate independence referendum call

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Scottish parliament is to start a two-day debate on whether to seek permission to hold a second independence referendum, BBC News reports.

The Scottish government wants to hold a referendum in the autumn of 2018 or the spring of the following year.

But the Conservatives have tabled an amendment calling for the parliament to rule out a referendum before April 2019. The UK is currently expected to leave the European Union on 29 March 2019.

Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said last week that a referendum would need to be held before Brexit, "or at least within a short time of it", to prevent Scotland facing a "lengthy period" outside both the EU and the single market if it becomes independent.

Her minority SNP government will ask MSPs to back its plans to ask Westminster for a section 30 order, which is needed to make a referendum legally binding.

The government is expected to win Wednesday's vote with the support of the Scottish Greens.

Prime Minister Theresa May said last week that "now is not the time" for a referendum, insisting that the focus should instead be on getting the best deal for the whole of the UK during the forthcoming negotiations with the EU.

Her comments were widely interpreted as suggesting she would block any attempt to hold a referendum before the UK leaves the European Union.

But May, who will formally notify the EU next Wednesday that the UK is leaving, did not rule out a vote on independence being held after Brexit.

Her Scottish secretary, David Mundell, later clarified that the UK government "will not be entering into discussions or negotiations about a Section 30 agreement" during the Brexit talks, and that any request "at this time" will be declined.