Nicola Sturgeon plans to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence in October next year if her government gets the legal approval to hold it.
Angus Robertson, the Scottish government’s founding secretary, said he had given enough time to pass the necessary legislation, set out the case of the Scottish National Party and run a campaign.
“The Prime Minister made it clear yesterday that she intends to make an announcement in the Scottish Parliament in the coming weeks on a roadmap to a referendum, which we intend to hold next October,” he told BBC Radio Scotland.
“I am fully satisfied that with the brochure starting to be published, with the announcement that will follow on the roadmap on how this will be achieved, we have a window of opportunity perfectly suited both for the passage of legislation, for to the opportunity for people to scrutinize the prospectus that the Scottish Government will publish. “
The Prime Minister released on Tuesday the first of a series of political documents outlining the case of independence, which will address some of the main challenges facing the yes campaign, such as its foreign exchange options, the deficit and Scotland’s debt as well as opportunities. he says independence will lead, such as welfare reform and immigration.
Sturgeon acknowledged on Tuesday that they include potentially significant trade and trade challenges if an independent Scotland rejoined the EU and had to introduce a customs border with the rest of the UK.
Scotland would join the common travel area, which still allows the free flow of people between the UK and Ireland, he said, but there would be customs challenges for goods and services.
In 2019, before the Covid crisis and the end of Brexit, trade with the rest of the UK accounted for 60% of Scotland’s total exports and was worth £ 52 billion; the EU 19%, or £ 16.4 billion.
The timetable set by Robertson depends entirely on securing the legal authority to hold a new vote.
The 2014 referendum was held only because the Democratic-Conservative-Liberal coalition government in Westminster gave it legislative consent, under section 30 of the Scottish Act. Many constitutional lawyers and pro-UK parties believe this is the only legal way.
Since 2014, Theresa May and Boris Johnson have repeatedly refused to do so again, despite Scotland voting against Brexit and a series of 2020 polls showing majority support for independence. The latest polls show the no a little ahead.
Sturgeon said Tuesday he would soon set out other ways to make a second referendum legal in a statement to the MSPs, but declined to provide further details.
Scottish Conservatives have accused Sturgeon of pursuing an illegal “wildcat” referendum. Party chairman Craig Hoy said: “Nicola Sturgeon has come close to approving a plan to go ahead with an illegal vote and Angus Robertson has doubled it today. This reckless push for another referendum will hurt Scotland when the whole focus should be on the recovery of Covid and the global crisis of the cost of living. “
If Sturgeon decides to hold a referendum without a section 30 order, the new referendum legislation would also need the approval of the President of Holyrood. He could also face repeated legal challenges, up to a final hearing in the UK Supreme Court.
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The process and question must then be approved by the Electoral Commission, and the UK government could also call a general election before January 2025. All of these steps could delay the date of a referendum or prevent it from being held. .
He said Scotland would learn lessons on how to build the best and most friction-free border with England and Northern Ireland after independence by learning lessons from the current crisis over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“There will be issues of customs and trade regulations if we are in the single market,” he said. “I believe that the benefits of being in the single market outweigh the challenges. What I’m telling you is that we need to establish how these challenges will be met. “