EDINBURGH: Scottish lawmakers voted Tuesday to seek a new referendum on independence, to be held within the next two years _ an unwanted headache for the British government as it prepares to push the European Union exit button.The Edinburgh-based legislature voted 69-59 to back First Minister Nicola Sturgeon 's call to ask the British government for an independence vote. Outside, several dozen independence supporters bearing Scottish and EU flags broke into cheers and tears of joy as the news broke.Sturgeon says Scots must be given the chance to vote on their future before Britain leaves the European Union. ''May, whose government must approve the referendum for it to be legally binding, says the time is not right. ''The Scottish parliament had been due to vote on Sturgeon's referendum demand last week, but the session was adjourned after Wednesday's extremist attack in London.Sturgeon's referendum call was backed by the governing Scottish nationalists and the Greens, and opposed by the Conservative and Labour parties.It's unclear what could break the stalemate between Edinburgh and London. ''Should that fail, she promised to inform the parliament of next steps after its Easter break next month.

Source: Economic Times March 28, 2017 16:30 UTC