LONDON (AP) – The Scottish leader said on Sunday that he plans to hold a “legal referendum” on Britain’s independence if he wins the Scottish elections scheduled for May.
Such a move would put Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon on a constitutional collision course with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is opposed to another secession vote.
Scotland voted to stay in the UK by a 55% -45% margin in a 2014 referendum that was classified as a single event in a generation. A new mandatory referendum requires approval from the UK government, and Johnson insists he will say no.
Sturgeon argues that Brexit transformed the situation by dragging Scotland out of the European Union against its will. A narrow majority of UK voters chose to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, but a large majority in Scotland voted to stay.
A series of recent opinion polls suggests that a small majority now supports Scotland to become an independent country. Sturgeon says his Scottish National Party will run for the May election “to seek the authority of the Scottish people” for a new referendum.
“If the SNP wins the Scottish election in a few months with the proposal to give the people that choice, then what Democrat could, with reason, oppose it? Boris Johnson clearly fears the verdict and the will of the Scottish people, ”said Sturgeon to the BBC.
The SNP says that if it wins a majority in the Scottish Parliament in May, it will pass legislation that allows for a new referendum once the coronavirus pandemic is over. If the Johnson government refused to agree, the matter would likely end in court.
“I want to have a legal referendum, that is why I will seek the authority of the Scottish people in May and if they give me that authority it is what I intend to do,” said Sturgeon.
Opposition parties in Scotland say Sturgeon should focus on defeating the coronavirus and supporting the economy, rather than planning for independence.