LONDON (AP) – The Scottish leader said on Sunday that he plans to hold a “legal referendum” on independence from Britain if he wins the Scottish election scheduled for May.
Such a move would put Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon on a course of constitutional collision with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who opposes another secession vote.
Scotland voted to remain in the UK with a 55% -45% margin in a 2014 referendum, which was considered a one-generation event. A new mandatory referendum requires the approval of the British government, and Johnson insists he will say no.
Sturgeon claims that Brexit has turned the situation around, pulling Scotland out of the European Union against its will. A small majority of UK voters chose to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, but a large majority in Scotland voted to stay.
A number of recent opinion polls suggest that a small majority now support Scotland becoming an independent country. Sturgeon says the Scottish National Party will run in the May elections “to seek the authority of the Scottish people” for a new referendum.
“If the SNP wins the Scottish election in a few months, on the basis of a proposal to give the people that choice, then what Democrat could rightly stand in that way? Boris Johnson is clearly afraid of the verdict and the will of the Scottish people, “Sturgeon told the BBC.
The SNP says that if it wins a majority in the Scottish Parliament in May, it will pass legislation to allow a new referendum once the coronavirus pandemic is over. If the Johnson administration refuses to agree, the issue is likely to go to court.
“I want to have a legal referendum, so I will seek the authority of the Scottish people in May and if they give me that authority, I would like to do it,” Sturgeon said.
Opposition parties in Scotland say Sturgeon should focus on defeating the coronavirus and supporting the economy, rather than planning for independence.