Scottish Parliament to vote on motion seeking Section 30 order for second independence referendum

A Holyrood vote on Tuesday will test whether Scotland’s pro-independence parties can turn their electoral argument into a formal demand for another referendum, BBC News reported. ^[1]

First Minister John Swinney is set to ask the Scottish Parliament to request the transfer of powers from the UK government to hold a second independence referendum. ^[1] The motion calls on the UK government to make a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998 to devolve the powers needed to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. ^[1]

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth framed the push as a democratic imperative, saying the “mandate for a referendum could not be clearer – and it is democratically unsustainable for Westminster to refuse to listen to the verdict of the people of Scotland.” ^[1] Gilruth also said the Scottish Parliament now consists of the “highest number of pro-independence MSPs ever elected” when SNP and Green members are combined. ^[1]

MSPs will be asked to vote on a motion that also requests the parliament welcomes what it describes as an emphatic democratic mandate for bold and ambitious reform backed by the people of Scotland at the Scottish General Election. ^[1]

Swinney has also said it was “perfectly conceivable” that a vote on the constitution could be held within two years. ^[1]