Scotland Seeks New Vote On Independence As U.K. Hurtles Toward Brexit [View all]

[brooklynite]

Source: NPR

The people of Scotland have already rejected the U.K.'s political agenda, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says — and now she wants them to vote in a public referendum on leaving the U.K. altogether. Sturgeon says she's sending Prime Minister Boris Johnson a letter formally requesting that Scotland be allowed to hold a vote on its future.

"Let's assert our rights as an equal nation and partner," Sturgeon told Scotland's residents as she began the push for what's widely being called #IndyRef2.

Scotland held a landmark independence vote in 2014, when roughly 55% of voters chose to remain in the U.K. But Sturgeon says times have changed drastically since then — most notably, Scotland voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 Brexit vote. She also notes that in the U.K.'s recent general election, her pro-independence Scottish National Party had one of its best showings ever at the polls.

"Scotland made very clear last week that it does not want a Tory government led by Boris Johnson taking us out of Europe and down a path that we haven't chosen," Sturgeon said.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2019/12/19/789729377/scotland-seeks-new-vote-on-independence-as-u-k-hurtles-toward-brexit