The Scottish Independence Referendum Bill was published on 28th June 2022 and sets out the date of the referendum which will be held on 19th October 2023.
Giving the people of Scotland the right to have a say over their future is fundamentally a matter of democracy. At the last Holyrood election, the SNP and the Scottish Greens stood on manifestos which contained clear commitments to hold an independence referendum within the lifetime of the Scottish Parliament and won a clear majority and forming the Scottish Government.
Despite this clear mandate Boris Johnson has continued to stand in the way of democracy by refusing to agree to a section 30 order to allow an agreed referendum to take place. While this would be the preferred position of the Scottish Government the First Minister has made it clear that she is not willing to allow a Tory Prime Minister to run roughshod over the wishes of the Scottish people.
That is why the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill has been referred to the Supreme Court by the Lord Advocate to determine whether Scotland has the legal powers to hold a referendum without UK Government approval.
Should this fail then the very idea of the UK as a voluntary partnership of nations is called into question. In this circumstance the SNP will run during the next General Election under a manifesto with a simple question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"
You can find more information, including papers on the benefits of independence, here: https://www.gov.scot/newscotland/
