Nicola Sturgeon

The SNP chief laid out plans for a vote to take place on 19 October 2023, with the Scottish people to be asked: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" She ...

She told Holyrood that she has a "clear mandate" to hold the vote, but admitted legal challenges could threaten the proposal. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has set a date for a second referendum on Scottish independence as she pushes for secession. [ANALYSIS] Nicola Sturgeon slapped down over Indyref2 'Clear people don't want!' [INSIGHT] Ms Sturgeon also said it was SNP policy for an independent Scotland “to remain as part of the Commonwealth with the Queen and her successors as head of state” but added the jubilee was not the time to discuss the issue. “Nicola Sturgeon needs to focus on those who are uncertain, unclear and not entirely happy with the state of the UK who probably still want Scotland to retain the monarchy.” The polling guru said many in Scotland support the Queen and therefore would not be willing to ditch her as their head of state.

Mr Ray suggested that the SNP could continue pushing for independence votes until they eventually succeeded, to which Ms Sturgeon said she “can't bind future ...

“That was the context of what you have just put to me there. “But if it does not go your way, will that be the end of it? Make sure you think carefully about this and take the opportunity of independence because we might not get another opportunity’.

Good morning. The UK government is facing two clashes with the devolved administrations: the first is with the Scottish National party government in Edinburgh ...

NICOLA STURGEON fumed at BBC Breakfast's Jon Kay as she accused him of 'not listening' to her while she talked about her proposals for a second Scottish ...

"See, no, no, no, no!" "So you wouldn't consider having any other kind of separate vote? As BBC host Jon Kay questioned her plans, Sturgeon exploded and accused him of not having read what she'd stated as she demanded: "Please listen to me." "No, no, can you please listen to me? Sturgeon repeated a referendum "has to be lawful". She added; "I want a lawful referendum but if that is blocked at every turn, the only option for my party is to say to people in the election, 'Use this as the defacto referendum to express your views on independence.'" "What I said yesterday also, if the Supreme Court, and I hope this doesn't happen and it wouldn't be the fault of the court, it would be a reflection of the legislation, says that there is no lawful route for the Scottish parliament to do that and if the UK government continues to block the referendum then yes, the General Election, as far as I'm concerned becomes the defacto referendum.

The First Minister announced plans to hold a new plebiscite in October next year, nine years after the supposedly 'once-in-a-generation' vote in which Scots ...

'There is a stronger mandate for an independence referendum in the Scottish parliament than there ever was for a Brexit referendum in the UK Parliament,' Sturgeon said. Sturgeon faces a mountain to climb in terms of legitimacy, as she has no power to call a binding referendum and Boris Johnson, who does, is unlikely to agree. The First Minister announced plans to hold a new plebiscite in October next year, nine years after the 'once-in-a-generation' vote in which Scots decided to stay part of the UK. But she faces a mountain to climb in terms of legitimacy, as she has no power to call a binding referendum and Boris Johnson, who does, is unlikely to agree. The First Minister announced plans to hold a new plebiscite in October next year, nine years after the supposedly 'once-in-a-generation' vote in which Scots decided to stay part of the UK. - The First Minister announced plans to hold a new plebiscite in October next year

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday that there was a stronger mandate for a Scottish independence referendum than there ever was for ...

Scotland's first minister tells Sky News that legal arguments "wouldn't be necessary if Boris Johnson and the UK government simply respected democracy and ...

This is a thing that is keeping families in Scotland awake at night and she ought to be focusing on that." She told Sky News: "She and her friends in the SNP were the ones who said that the independence referendum (in 2014) was a once in a generation chance to settle the question." Ms Nandy continued: "What she's done in the last 24 hours is nothing to do with the interests of Scotland, it's to do with the interests of the SNP. But she added that such legal argument "wouldn't be necessary, of course, if Boris Johnson and the UK government simply respected democracy and agreed the process to put a referendum beyond legal doubt". Nicola Sturgeon has said she is doing "the responsible thing" as she pursues a second referendum on Scottish independence - and has contested whether the right to call a vote lies with the UK's Supreme Court. Scotland's first minister tells Sky News that legal arguments "wouldn't be necessary if Boris Johnson and the UK government simply respected democracy and agreed the process to put a referendum beyond legal doubt".

Nicola Sturgeon has contrasted her desire for a “lawful” second vote on Scottish independence with the Prime Minister “breaking the law” by reneging on the ...

He is breaking the law to renege on the Northern Ireland Protocol, I am being very clear that any vote on independence has to be lawful. Asked about the PM’s comments, Ms Sturgeon told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that “Putin is a war criminal and a war monger”, adding “toxic masculinity is very much part and parcel of that, so I agree with that”. Mr Johnson, however, argued the UK is “able to have a stronger economy and a stronger country together”.

THE SCOTTISH government has proposed to hold another independence referendum on 19 October 2023....

"Independence is about equipping ourselves to navigate the future, guided by our own values, aspirations and interests. "For Scotland to become independent following a yes vote, legislation would have to be passed by the UK and Scottish Parliaments." "Just as in 2014 - and recognised explicitly in the 2013 White Paper - a majority yes vote in this referendum will not in and of itself make Scotland independent," she continued.

John Swinney has claimed the SNP only needs to win a majority of seats in Scotland at the next general election to begin independence negotiations with the ...

"And if that is blocked every time then what does that say about UK democracy? "And secondly, when a majority of people do vote for that proposition, as a matter of practical reality, and this will be true after a referendum, we have to negotiate the implementation of that with the UK Government." Nothing else." Asked about the possibility of a general election being used as a "de facto" referendum, she said: "I'll set out this in more detail should we be in this situation, which I hope we won’t be in because I hope we'll be able to have a lawful referendum. Appearing on BBC Radio Scotland, Swinney was asked: "Just to be clear, if you have a majority of Scottish MPs at the next UK general election, that would be a mandate to start negotiations for an independent Scotland?" John Swinney has claimed the SNP only needs to win a majority of seats in Scotland at the next general election to begin independence negotiations with the UK Government.

The First Minister said Scotland is 'being taken down the wrong path by Westminster governments'.

“But right now of course, we are out of the European Union against out will. She added: “So, I agree with Boris Johnson, more women in positions of leadership would be a good thing, perhaps including in the UK. “Not that women don’t make mistakes, but I do think women tend to bring perhaps a bit more common sense and emotional intelligence and more of a reasoned approach to decisions.” “But yes, I also do, unusually perhaps, agree with Boris Johnson that the world would be a better place if there were more women in positions of leadership. And the Prime Minister said that there is a need for more women in positions of power. Nicola Sturgeon insists the time is right for Scotland to decide independence, as she said it is a “key moment” in history.

The First Minister was speaking the day after she unveiled plans to hold a second vote on independence in October 2023.

He is breaking the law to renege on the Northern Ireland Protocol, I am being very clear that any vote on independence has to be lawful. In 2014, Scots voted to stay part of the UK, but Ms Sturgeon highlighted that decision was made “almost a decade ago”. Mr Johnson, however, argued the UK is “able to have a stronger economy and a stronger country together”.

Scotland could become independent if the SNP won a majority of votes in a UK election, Nicola Sturgeon has said. The first minister wants a referendum in ...

Your contact details will never be published. After all, the first minister's hope is that the last resort will never be needed. Nothing else." She said: "I hope we can resolve these things in a referendum, that is the proper way of doing it. But he went on to Tweet that he had "misheard" the question, and added that his view would be that the SNP would need to win a majority of votes in a general election, not a majority of seats. She added: "The issue of practical reality is that when a majority vote for independence, I hope in a referendum, that will have to be followed by a negotiation with a UK government to implement that decision."

The First Minister was received by Elizabeth II during an audience at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, as part of her traditional trip to Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon has no power to call a binding referendum and Boris Johnson, who does, is unlikely to agree. Her Majesty was also given a new tartan blanket, which she thanked the First Minister for and told her it was 'a lovely thing to have'. That's the policy of my party.' Ms Sturgeon denies the story. The announcement came as a surprise to most - including apparently Downing Street and the Prime Minister, who is in Europe attending G7 and Nato meetings. A wee dram to break the ice? 'There is a stronger mandate for an independence referendum in the Scottish parliament than there ever was for a Brexit referendum in the UK Parliament,' Sturgeon said. Tory MP for North West Durham, Ric Holden, told MailOnline: “Nicola Sturgeon is so obsessed with her own independence agenda that she simply doesn’t care about anything or anyone else. The SNP has also been forced to clarify that Ms Sturgeon is planning for Scotland to remain a constitutional monarchy in the event of a split after she said a 'debate' was needed on the Royal Family. Asked a question about Prince Andrew, she said there was 'a debate to be had about the longer term future of the monarchy'. After being first elected, Ms Sturgeon chooses to make her oath of allegiance in the Scottish Parliament to the sovereignty of the people, not the Monarch. The First Minister claimed this morning there was a stronger mandate for a Scottish independence referendum than there ever was for Britain's 2016 vote on whether to leave the EU In response the First Minister told a briefing that her government had reminded the Palace of the strict Covid restrictions north of the border ahead of the tour, leading Tory MPs to accuse her of being 'unsubtle' and 'rude'.

NICOLA Sturgeon took on a BBC Breakfast presenter on Wednesday morning as he pushed her to explain whether her government would go ahead with an…

He is breaking the law to renege on the Northern Ireland Protocol, I am being very clear that any vote on independence has to be lawful. I am not going to move forward with a referendum that is unlawful.” “Would you consider having a referendum, going it alone, having an advisory referendum or vote of some kind?”

She has been presented with a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label whiskey alongside a tartan blanket.

Other members of the Royal Family have joined the Queen for the Royal Week celebrations. The Queen was full of smiles yesterday as she arrived for a military parade in Edinburgh. Today marks the third day of Royal Week in Scotland, known as Holyrood Week in the rest of the UK, which sees the monarch travel the country for a special series of events.

From a hard border with England to stringent fiscal demands from Brussels, Scotland's EU ambitions may not be as rosy as they seem.

Scotland will have to rejoin the EU's common fisheries policy and surrender control of its waters to Brussels. The SNP could argue that technology and digital customs procedures could smooth out the border friction. Rejoining the EU would not make up for the income Scotland would lose in leaving the United Kingdom and its frictionless internal market. The EU would be less flexible with Scotland than it is over the island of Ireland. The Scots would not have the benefit of an EU member state like Ireland pressing the case for special treatment. But taking Scotland out of the UK and into the EU would be the mother of all migraines. The Irish Sea border exists to carry out the checks which would be too inflammatory to conduct on the invisible frontier between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

The First Minister has stolen a march on the UK Government - but her bold approach does not come without risks.

This would clear the way for Ms Sturgeon to hold a vote next year as she intends, effectively firing the starting gun on the campaign. This would force her to backtrack on her announcement of a 19 October 2023 referendum. But the approach does not come without risks.

"What she's done in the last 24 hours is nothing to do with the interests of Scotland," Nandy said.

The prime minister said: “We’ll study it very carefully and respond properly. The UK government said it would examine the first minister’s proposals, but stressed its position that “now is not the time” for another referendum had not changed. It has also said that it is “clear” that the constitution is reserved to Westminster.

NICOLA Sturgeon has announced her plan to hold indyref in October 2023 – explaining that she will instead use the next General Election as a…

“Sturgeon has argued that the landscape has changed over the last eight years, especially due to Brexit. A majority of Scots wanted to remain in the EU,” the article states. El Nacional makes clear that Westminster has repeatedly refused to allow a Section 30 order to go ahead, writing: “So far, Johnson has given little more than a flat refusal, and last weekend the British secretary of state for Scotland warned in a BBC interview that ‘everything related to constitutional affairs is reserved for the British Parliament’”. The Spanish publication also states that unlike in Catalonia, Sturgeon is determined to host a “legal and constitutional” vote. “The head of the Scottish executive for almost eight years has been trying to break an impasse: the government of Boris Johnson has repeated in all tones for the past two years that it will not authorise a new referendum on Scotland and that that of 2014 ‘is valid for a generation’,” Le Monde told readers. It notes that while the Yes movement failed to win in 2014, Brexit followed that – and was a “stab in the back for many Scots who voted overwhelmingly against it, and who had been threatened two years earlier with an irremediable and painful exit from the EU if they opted for secession”. In Le Monde, one of the top French newspapers with a daily circulation of more than 350,000, Nicola Sturgeon was described as “precise and ultra-determined” as the journalist explained the path forward to indyref2.

NICOLA Sturgeon has dismissed a Labour MP's claim she has a “brass neck” for pursuing a second independence referendum.

So it's a matter of democracy that people should have the right to choose. “There is a majority, a clear majority of the Scottish Parliament, behind that proposition. This is the thing that is keeping families awake at night and she ought to be looking at that.” Responding to Nandy and Wallace on Sky News, she said: “I'm a democrat. She and her friends in the SNP are the ones that said an independence referendum was a once-in-a-generation chance to settle the question. And what she’s done in the last 24 hours is nothing to do with the interests of Scotland.

Constitutional politics expert Professor James Mitchell said there is no such thing as a 'de facto' referendum on Scottish independence.

But a strong showing in a UK-wide vote could still see them fall short of their target to win the majority of the vote. The first minister’s bombshell pledge to the nation also sparked confusion over what would happen if the SNP were successful in a single-issue election. The comments came as unionist politicians mount attacks on the plan to turn a UK-wide vote into a ballot on independence if a “legal” referendum bid is blocked. “It’s not for a political party to dictate the terms of an election. Professor James Mitchell said the first minister cannot “dictate the terms” of a Westminster ballot when voters go to the polls. The first minister is facing a backlash over plans to fight the next UK general election on independence alone, as an expert warns “there’s no such thing” as a “de facto” referendum.

Leader said Scots will be presented with the same 'Yes' or 'No' vote they were in 2014, when the No side won narrowly with 55.3 per cent of the vote.

This will establish whether a vote can be held without the UK Government’s permission. Meanwhile, 20 have shown No ahead. In a statement at Holyrood on Tuesday afternoon, the First Minister said she would be publishing a Referendum Bill that would set out the terms of the vote, which she plans to hold on 19 October 2023.

Ms Sturgeon tells Sky News that legal arguments on a new vote "wouldn't be necessary if Boris Johnson and the UK government simply respected democracy and ...

This is a thing that is keeping families in Scotland awake at night, and she ought to be focusing on that." She told Sky News: "She and her friends in the SNP were the ones who said that the independence referendum (in 2014) was a once in a generation chance to settle the question." Ms Nandy continued: "What she's done in the last 24 hours is nothing to do with the interests of Scotland, it's to do with the interests of the SNP. But she added that such legal argument "wouldn't be necessary, of course, if Boris Johnson and the UK government simply respected democracy and agreed the process to put a referendum beyond legal doubt". Ms Sturgeon tells Sky News that legal arguments on a new vote "wouldn't be necessary if Boris Johnson and the UK government simply respected democracy and agreed the process to put a referendum beyond legal doubt". Prior to meeting the monarch, Ms Sturgeon said she was doing "the responsible thing" as she pursues a new vote on breaking away from the UK.

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And they will debate the opposition reaction to plans, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar among those chiefly critical of both the timing and intention behind the referendum push. But she has said if that vote cannot take place, either because Westminster continues to block it or the Supreme Court rules the Scottish Government cannot stage a legal vote on its own, then she would use the next general election as a “de-facto referendum” on Scotland’s place in the UK. That is the subject of a special edition of podcast The Steamie this week as the Scotsman’s team of political writers debate the potential path to indyref2 as outlined by the First Minister on Tuesday.

Her deputy was forced to correct himself after he said that the SNP winning a majority of Westminster seats in Scotland would be enough to begin ...

“It’s not for a political party to dictate the terms of an election. “There isn’t the same focus in an election. “In an election, the voter is allowed to choose what she or he wishes to choose to determine their vote.

The Queen seemed excited to receive gifts from Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Wednesday.

The two leaders posed for photographs before being left alone to have a private conversation, as is the formality of Her Majesty's audiences. Sturgeon offered a brief explanation of each present to the monarch, who appeared most intrigued by the £150 limited edition bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label whisky. The 96-year-old was all smiles as she shook hands with the Leader of the Scottish National Party, who just yesterday announced plans to hold another independence referendum in October 2023.

Sturgeon says she wants to hold a second Scottish independence referendum on 19 October 2023 but it's not certain she will get what she wants.

The steps I am setting out today seek to achieve that. The referendum may never happen. She plans to use the same question put to voters in 2014: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” Sturgeon has vowed that the will of the Scottish people will not be held back: ‘Scottish democracy cannot be a prisoner to Boris Johnson.’

The First Minister was speaking the day after she unveiled plans to hold a second vote on independence in October 2023.

Ms Sturgeon insisted: “People in Scotland must have the ability to express their views on independence. He is breaking the law to renege on the Northern Ireland Protocol, I am being very clear that any vote on independence has to be lawful. “Because whether you are Yes or No to independence I think the vast majority of people accept that that is a decision that can only be taken by the people of Scotland.” She said: “In terms of the global situation, it is not being independent that has taken Scotland out of Europe. I would want to see an independent Scotland back in Europe, co-operating with others to help make the world a better place, standing up for those principles of liberal democracy and freedom.” Ms Sturgeon insisted “the time is right for Scotland to debate and decide independence because we have been taken down the wrong path by Westminster governments”. Mr Johnson, however, argued the UK is “able to have a stronger economy and a stronger country together”.

The Queen stopped off in Edinburgh today as the Royal Family enjoy their annual holiday in Scotland.

The Queen is expected to remain in residence at the Palace of Holyrood House until July 1. The First Minister bows her head, and says: “Your Majesty, how lovely to see you. It starts as Nicola Sturgeon walks into a room in Holyrood House and the Queen wishes her a ‘good morning.’

NICOLA STURGEON has been accused of being incapable of improving Scotland with a second independence referendum by a local Inverness resident.

Ms Sturgeon added: "The case for a referendum is therefore now as much a Scottish democracy movement as a Scottish independence movement. He went on to claim that now he would vote no on the second referendum, stating he did not believe the current Government is capable of improving the challenges the Scottish people were facing. NICOLA STURGEON has been accused of being incapable of improving Scotland with a second independence referendum by a local Inverness resident.

Voters can't be dictated what subjects they should be considering when they cast their ballots at an election, writes Chris McCall.

It's not for a political party to dictate the terms of an election. The party would be no further forward on the path to independence than it is today. There is no legal basis to declare independence on the back of a general election result. It would campaign at the next general election on a single issue - vote for us if you want to end the Union. "In a referendum, the question is very clear and that is the whole point." On a basic level, an election is about choosing a party to form the next UK Government.

No for me hen, you can stick yer independence. Spend the money this will cost on a drug programme that will work. Worst drug abuse country in the world, but ...

Just say we DO have another Indy ref and it’s a close no vote again, what does the SNP do then? All that money that is going to be used for a vote that was a once in a lifetime vote. Boris is all about Ukraine, yet England holds a piece of Ireland. If Scotland wants to be independent, then do something to bring industry and jobs, so Scotland is earning money. She needs to do her "day" job and look at what can be done to help people through the current cost of living crisis instead of wasting time and money on another referendum. All politicians tell you what you want to hear until they get what they want and that is across the board. Spend the money this will cost on a drug programme that will work.

Nicola Sturgeon presents Scotland as a country outraged by Brexit and straining at the leash of the United Kingdom. She said she wants a second referendum ...

But he should not put party advantage before his duty as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Scotland, like the rest of the UK, is facing all kinds of instability: the last thing Scots need is the added drama of a referendum. If she succeeded in having an independent Scotland inside the EU, she would need to erect a hard border with England – and Northern Ireland offers a glimpse of the agony this would involve. Ms Sturgeon has an army of supporters to assuage, so she has to do her best to pretend that their date with destiny lies just around the corner. While that referendum was close – 45 for leaving to 55 per cent against – the balance of opinion still favours the Union, as almost every poll of the last few years has shown. The SNP and their Green allies stood on pro-referendum manifestos last year and between them captured a majority of Holyrood seats. Nicola Sturgeon presents Scotland as a country outraged by Brexit and straining at the leash of the United Kingdom. She said she wants a second referendum on 19 October next year.