Draft independence referendum bill published

The Scottish government today published the draft bill paving the way for a second independence referendum. See link to draft bill at the bottom of the page.

It states the government's intention is to hold the vote after the pandemic but in the first half of the new parliamentary term.

The SNP says it will try to pass the bill if the Scottish elections in May return a majority of MSPs who back independence.

The proposed timing of the vote is a pointed response to Unionist parties who have adopted the mantra that the middle of a pandemic is not the right time for the referendum.

The bill proposes using the same question as the first independence referendum in 2014 - Should Scotland be an independent country? - and voters will again be asked to vote yes or no.

The proposed timing of the vote is a pointed response to Unionist parties who have adopted the mantra that the middle of a pandemic is not the right time for the referendum.

Scottish constitution secretary Michael Russell said at the weekend the bill ‘is going to say that we will hold a referendum when the time is right to hold it, and that will be at the conclusion of the pandemic. Nobody is suggesting anything else and again that’s been misrepresented’.

Mr Russell also demolished the other main unionist argument that an independence referendum would be a distraction from the task of rebuilding after Covid.

“There is no dichotomy between referendum and recovery. It isn’t referendum OR recovery but referendum FOR recovery” he said.

The SNP's road map to independence says it plans to go ahead with a 'legal' referendum even if Westminster refuses to pass a Section 30 agreement.

You can view the published draft bill here:  draft-independence-referendum-bill