This Insight explores the key changes to parliamentary procedures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Documents to download
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E-petitions 180642 and 168781 relating to a referendum on Scottish independence (131 KB, PDF)
On 18 September 2014, a referendum was held on Scottish independence. Voters in Scotland voted by 55.3% to 44.7% to remain part of the United Kingdom. At the time it was seen by some as deciding the matter ‘for a generation’.
In the 2016 referendum vote, by UK voters as a whole, to leave the European Union, the majority of Scottish voters wanted to remain in the EU. This triggered one of the Scottish National Party Government’s manifesto commitments to seek a second referendum on independence for Scotland.
Petition 168781 calls for second referendum on Scottish independence to be held. Petition 180642 opposes a second referendum. Both petitions were closed before the June 2017 General Election.
The Government responses to both petitions make it clear that the “UK Government is clear that now is not the time for a second independence referendum”.
Petitions website
E-petition 180642: Another Scottish independence referendum should not be allowed to happen
E-petition 168781: Agree to a second referendum on Scottish Independence
Documents to download
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E-petitions 180642 and 168781 relating to a referendum on Scottish independence (131 KB, PDF)
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