Scotland’s Sturgeon expected to win backing for second independence referendum
MPs in Edinburgh will vote on Tuesday
Edinburgh — Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to win backing for her plan to pursue a second independence referendum in a parliamentary vote that comes a day before the UK triggers two years of talks on withdrawing from the European Union. MPs in Edinburgh will vote at 5pm local time on Tuesday, with the Greens already saying they will support Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party (SNP) to ensure a majority in the semi-autonomous Scottish Parliament. Sturgeon is seeking permission to request the legal means from the UK authorities to hold the plebiscite by spring 2019, saying circumstances have changed now Britain is pulling out of the EU. The vote, which was postponed from last week because of the terrorist attack outside the UK parliament in London, sets up what could be a lengthy and acrimonious domestic showdown in the midst of the Brexit negotiations. UK Prime Minister Theresa May met Sturgeon on a visit to Scotland on Monday and has repeatedly rebuffed the plan ...
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