Nicola Sturgeon has indicated she could delay a fresh Scottish independence referendum until after Brexit, in the hope of a deal with Theresa May on its timing. In a statement issued on Tuesday after the Scottish government cabinet formally endorsed her decision to stage a second referendum, Sturgeon insisted there was a “cast-iron mandate” for the poll. That process is expected to lead to a repeat of the Edinburgh agreement in 2012 setting up the first independence referendum. That suggests Scotland would find it easier to rejoin the EU if it did so once Brexit and its independence from the UK were both legally agreed. In reality, the Scottish government would control that vote at Holyrood, allowing Sturgeon to negotiate with May.

Source: The Guardian March 14, 2017 16:26 UTC