Scotland is taking a step toward another referendum on independence by preparing legislation that could be enacted should the semiautonomous government in Edinburgh decide that the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union is undermining its political and economic interests.
The draft bill on a vote was published for consultation on Thursday, a week after Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned British prime minister that she wasn’t bluffing about seeking to withdraw from the 3-centuries-old U.K. if EU-exit negotiations don’t take into account Scotland’s position. The bill doesn’t mean an imminent vote, but it would speed the process should Sturgeon decide to pursue one.
“This government was elected on a specific manifesto pledge that the Scottish Parliament should be able to consider an independence referendum if there was a material change in circumstances, such as Scotland being taken out of the European Union against its will,” Sturgeon said in a statement ahead of the publication. “The country now faces exactly that prospect, including the likelihood of it being a hard Brexit with all the additional damage that will do to Scotland’s economy and jobs.”
The previous Scottish referendum was in September 2014, when 55 percent of voters decided to remain in the U.K.