Scotland Open To Second Independence Vote In 2018
Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Nicola Sturgeon, speaks at the party's annual conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain October 13, 2016. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is open to holding a second independence referendum as early as 2018.
Sturgeon said a vote is “common sense” considering the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union within the next few years. Scots overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU during the Brexit referendum last June.
“I guess when the sort of outline of a UK deal becomes clear on the UK exiting the EU, I think that would be a common sense time for Scotland to have that choice if that is the road we choose to go down,” Sturgeon said in a BBC interview aired Thursday.
Scots last voted on independence in 2014, when 55 percent voted to stay in the U.K. A poll released Thursday shows more Scots are coming around to the idea of independence. A slim majority, 51 percent, still wants to remain in the U.K.
Sturgeon has pushed for a semi-autonomous Scotland to remain in the EU, but said her request has been met with “intransigence” from the U.K. government. She would need permission from the national government before calling another referendum.