Nicola Sturgeon is to address the Scottish Parliament today to set out the next steps towards holding a second referendum on Scottish independence.
The First Minister will brief MSPs this afternoon to set out her "route map” for holding a lawful vote in October next year, with or without the formal consent of UK ministers
The statement comes after Ms Sturgeon published the first in a series of papers earlier this month aimed at making a fresh case for independence.
What has Ms Sturgeon said ahead of the statement?
The First Minister is insistent that the SNP’s victory in the 2021 Holyrood elections gives her a mandate for another referendum, and has said she wants this to take place before the end of 2023.
Her critics claim she is “obsessed” with holding a second referendum when the Scottish Government should be focused on matters such as tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
She argued that continued attempts to “block that democratic will only weaken the UK Government’s standing, here and internationally”.
Will there be a second Indyref?
Ms Sturgeon said: “Bluntly, the UK Government is in no position to lecture any other country about the need to respect democratic norms if it is intent on trying to thwart democracy at home.
“And, because we live in a democracy where election results still matter, continued efforts to thwart the will of the people must, and will, fail.
“The UK is either a partnership of consent or it is not a partnership worthy of the name.
“Westminster rule over Scotland cannot be based on anything other than a consented, voluntary partnership.
“It is time to give people the democratic choice they have voted for, and then with independence to build a more prosperous, fairer country in a true partnership of equals between Scotland and our friends in the rest of the UK.”
What time is the statement and how can I watch?
Coverage of the First Minister addressing MSPs will start at 2pm and will be screened live on the Scottish Parliament’s TV channel online.
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