A second referendum on Scottish independence is planned for October 19 next year.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement this afternoon in parliament.
The proposed date for voting is Thursday, October 19, 2023.
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Speaking in parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, said: “The campaign to establish this parliament was long and hard. It was rooted in the belief that self government would improve the lives of who live here, and so that has proved.
“Last May, the people of Scotland said yes to an independence referendum by electing a clear majority of MSPs committed to that outcome.
"The democratic decision was clear.”
The 2014 referendum was one that ended with Scotland almost split in half, with the vote 55-45 in favour of NO to independence.
Now almost nine years later, the same decision lays upon the citizens of Scotland to decide their futures once again.
At Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs: “Scotland, over the generations, has paid a price for not being independent - Westminster governments we don’t vote for imposing policies we don’t support, too often holding us back from fulfilling our potential. That reality couldn’t have been starker than it is right now.”
And the First Minister’s announcement has been welcomed by Renfrewshire North and West MSP Natalie Don.
She said: “The campaign for independence has never stopped. But now we push and continue to push for our democratic right to choose on October 19, 2023.
“We can’t ignore the votes of the people of Scotland who voted for SNP and Green MSPs on the basis that they would get an Independence Referendum.
“The Lord Advocate will refer the question of the legal status of the referendum to the Supreme Court and this will provide clarity and legal certainty.
“If the Supreme Court says our referendum is not legal, then the next UK General Election will be held with all SNP candidates standing on the single issue of Scotland being an Independent nation."
The SNP MSP continued: “The Tories actually campaigned on a slogan of Vote Tory to stop a second Independence Referendum – they lost; they have no right to dictate which policies the democratically elected Government of Scotland follows.
“Scotland needs the full powers of a normal Independent nation to not only tackle the issues that face us from Brexit to Tory austerity but also to build a better nation for all."
Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, accused Ms Sturgeon of taking her eye off the ball by putting Scotland’s real priorities “on the backburner” in favour of a “selfish obsession” with a referendum.
He added: “A potentially illegal referendum next year is the wrong priority for Scotland.”
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