Second Scottish Independence Referendum / IndyRef2

Second Scottish independence referendum (also referred as IndyRef2 by some) is the proposal by the Scottish Government to hold an independence referendum in response to the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.

History

2014 Scottish independence referendum

After being elected in for a second term at the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, the Scottish National Party (SNP) won a majority in Parliament. Then First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, had gained a mandate for an independence referendum to be held.

Arguments that divided voters were on the subject of currency and Scotland's membership of the European Union if voted Yes.

On September 18th, 2014, an independence referendum was held and a majority of Scottish people voted to remain a member of the United Kingdom – subsequently rejecting independence for Scotland by 55% to 45%.

2015 United Kingdom General Election

After the referendum, Alex Salmond resigned as First Minister of Scotland and was later replaced by his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon who was elected as SNP leader unopposed and elected as the fifth First Minister of Scotland.

In the 2015 UK general election campaign, Nicola Sturgeon was questioned on whether a second independence referendum would be placed in their party's manifesto.

Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP made clear that a second independence referendum 'wasn't a focus' in the SNP's election campaign.

The party eventually won 56 out of Scotland's 59 seats.

2016 Scottish Parliament Election

Ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP launched their election manifesto that stated that an SNP government would allow another independence referendum to be held on the condition that a majority of Scots would support it and/or if Scotland was dragged out of the European Union against its own will which would contradict the arguments of the 2014 referendum.

The SNP won the election with a record number of votes and winning a majority of seats in parliament. Despite this, they lost their majority, but this was primarily due to the Scottish Parliament's PR system which was designed to not to allow a single party to govern in the Scottish Parliament.

The SNP was given their first mandate for a second independence referendum to be held.

2016 European Union Membership Referendum

In the lead up to the 2016 EU referendum, Nicola Sturgeon and SNP figures warned that if there was a result that Scotland voted to remain in the EU whilst the rest of the country voted to leave, then implications for a second independence referendum could be more likely.

2017 United Kingdom General Election

In the 2017 UK general election, the SNP stood on another manifesto commitment that a second referendum should be held when the time for it was right. Despite the SNP winning the majority of seats in Scotland, they lost 21 seats to unionist parties.

Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative Party leader and Angus Robertson, former SNP MP who was defeated in the election claimed that the SNP's position on independence and Nicola Sturgeon's call of a Section 30 order in March 2017 as a factor to the party's loss in seats at the election.

Despite losing the seats, the SNP still won the majority of seats and votes in Scotland and therefore gave the party and government a second mandate to hold another referendum.

2017 Scottish Independence Referendum Confirmatory Vote

The Scottish Parliament voted 69 to 59 for a second independence referendum to be held which resulted in the government gaining a third mandate to hold another referendum.

2019 Scottish Parliament Update

On April 24th, 2019, Nicola Sturgeon updated Parliament on a timing of a second independence referendum. Nicola Sturgeon announced that a second independence referendum should be held in the lifetime of the 5th Scottish Parliament – meaning that the government would seek another referendum before May 2021.

2019 United Kingdom General Election

A general election was called by now Prime Minister Boris Johnson with the aim of breaking the Brexit deadlock in parliament.

Ahead of the election, the SNP launched their campaign with the slogan "Put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands" and "Stop Brexit" whilst their oppoents, the Scottish Conservatives, campaigned on a one policy basis of "No to IndyRef2".

The SNP won a landslide in Scotland, winning 48 out of 59 seats in Scotland, 14 up from the 2017 general election, including the seven of the thirteen seats they lost to the Scottish Conservatives and the six seats they lost to Scottish Labour. The SNP also ousted Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, in the process.

Due to the result, Nicola Sturgeon renewed calls for a second independence referendum to be held as the Conservative Party won a landslide across the rest of the United Kingdom, inevitably making Brexit happen.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson denied calls for a Section 30 request which allows the Scottish Parliament to hold a legal referendum.

Scottish Labour Civil War

On August 5th, 2019, Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell stated that a Labour government wouldn't block an independence referendum which caused uproar in the party.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard stated that Labour already had committed to opposing any future referendum on independence.

Campaigns

Yes.Scot

Yes.Scot was launched after Nicola Sturgeon's speech to parliament on April 24th, 2019 with the aim of setting out the positive case for Scotland becoming an independent country.

Voices for Scotland

Voices for Scotland was a new campaign set up by SNP member Elaine C. Smith with the aim of persuading No and undecided voters to convert to Yes.

Positions

Support for independence

Parties and groups that campaign for independence include:

• Scottish National Party (SNP)
• Scottish Green Party
• Scottish Socialist Party (SSP)
• Yes.Scot
• Voices for Scotland
• Yes Scottish Conservatives
• Labour for Independence

Opposition against independence

Parties and groups that oppose independence include:

• Scottish Conservative Party
• Scottish Labour Party
• Scottish Liberal Democrats
• UK Independence Party
• Scotland in Union

Arguments

Pro-Independence arguments

Arguments that independence campaigners stand on include:

Scotland rejoining the European Union

In 2014, the No campaign claimed that if you voted against independence, Scotland's EU membership and citizenship would be protected. After the EU referendum, where the UK voted to leave, that argument was not valid anymore.

The Yes campaign claim that because of this, an independent Scotland would be able to reapply membership to the European Union after the country voted overwhelmingly to remain in the 2016 referendum.

Scotland being sidelined by Westminster

Independence campaigners argue that Scotland has been ignored and sidelined by politicians in Westminster and that there is no need for Scotland to remain as they are being ignored.

They claim that Scotland has not had a say in Brexit negotiations and that other countries in the UK and the EU and British political parties have more power than the Scottish Parliament in Brexit negotiations.

A new currency for Scotland

The Yes campaign claim that an independent Scotland would be able to create a new currency. Independence campaigners have criticised unionist supporters for their opposition to a new currency being formed when they previously voiced their opposition in the 2014 independence referendum for letting an independent Scotland use the pound.

A new Currency Framework for Scotland was published in 2019 detailing steps and plans forward for a creation of a new national bank and a new currency and how it would be implemented.

Decisions made by Scotland

With independence supporters stating that Scotland is being sidelined and forgotten in Brexit talks, they claim that an independent Scotland would allow itself to make its own decisions and would allow Scottish people to choose the governments they vote for as the Scottish Parliament uses a PR system rather than the first past the post system Westminster uses.

Pro-Union arguments

Arguments that unionists stand on are:

Respecting the result of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum

Unionist supporters believe that Scotland should not hold another independence referendum in respect to the country voting No in 2014 and stating that the Yes campaign promised to respect the result and reiterate their claim that the referendum would be a 'once in a generation' opportunity.

More divisions being created

Unionist supporters claim that if a second referendum were to be held, it would cause more divisions being created and that there would not be time for divisions to take place as the United Kingdom prepares to leave the European Union.

Scotland would be poorer if independent

Unionist supporters claim that if Scotland was independent, the country would be poorer and that Scotland would plunge deeper into austerity and more people would be poorer.

Scotland would be heading into the unknown

Unionist supporters claim that if Scotland voted for independence, the country would be heading into the unknown and fall into 'an abyss' and stating that an independent Scotland would be a 'gamble'.

Related Memes

Go And Get Your Jacket, It's Time

Go And Get Your Jacket, It's Time refers to a line said by First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon in the introductory video for "Yes.Scot", a new campaign devoting to increase support for the cause of Scottish independence.

In response to the video being published, a series of reaction pictures and tweets have been made.

External References