THE leader of Catalonia has said he will defy Madrid to hold a non-binding independence vote in less than two months, insisting his people deserve the same right to determine their future as Scots who voted to stay in the UK.
The Catalan regional government was due to pass a bill last night giving Catalan leader Artur Mas the power to call a non-binding referendum. He said he would sign it and would hold the vote on November 9.
However, Madrid says even a non-binding referendum would violate the Spanish constitution and has pledged to block it in the courts.
Mr Mas, meanwhile, denied that the No vote had hurt the Catalan secessionist cause.
"What happened in Scotland is not a setback for us, because what we really want in Catalonia is to have the chance to vote," Mr Mas said.
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