When was the Scottish independence referendum and does Scotland want a second vote?

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THE SNP, led by Nicola Sturgeon, look set to pick up 55 seats out of a possible 59 in Scotland.

The result could give the party the mandate to push for a second independence vote.

But when was the Scottish independence referendum and will there be a second one?

The SNP are expected to be the third largest party in the Commons,

When was the Scottish independence referendum?

The Scottish Independence referendum took place on Thursday 18 September 2014.

The referendum question was “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

“No” won with 55.3 per cent of the vote (2,001,926 votes).

44.7 per cent of people voted “Yes” (1,617,989 votes).

The turnout was 84.6 per cent which was the highest recorded for an election or referendum in the UK since the January 1910 general election.

Does Scotland want a second vote on independence?

Nicola Sturgeon has long been campaigning for a second Scottish independence referendum.

A recent survey found Scots continue to be split right down the middle on independence.

The research by Survation found 46% of Scots support going it alone, with 47.3% opposed.

If you remove undecideds from the figures it means 49.3% of Scots would now vote Yes up from 44.7% in the historic ballot in September 2014.

In their manifesto last May, the SNP promised “the Scottish Parliament should have the right to hold another referendum… if there is a significant and material change in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014, such as Scotland being taken out of the EU against our will”.

Nicola Sturgeons SNP is set to sweep the board in Scotland

Can Nicola Sturgeon call a vote if Boris Johnson rejects it?

Michael Gove ruled out a fresh attempt at Scottish independence earlier this week, saying it “absolutely” would not be happening.

Mr Johnson lashed out at Ms Sturgeon during the election campaign, saying her persistent efforts for a second referendum were “paralysing” Scotland and trapping her country like a “caged lion”.

Ms Sturgeon said this morning Westminster was making the case for independence easier, the more they refused to give Scotland “self determination”.

She said: “The more a Tory government seeks to block the will of the Scottish people, the more they ensure complete and utter contempt (the Tories)… their short term strategy sows the seeds of the longer term defeat,” Ms Sturgeon said, saying she would not cede “the high ground.”

What would happen if Scotland became independent from the rest of the UK?

If the referendum was granted and Scotland left the UK, the newly reformed state would most likely require a hard border.

f the referendum was granted and Scotland left the UK, the newly formed state would likely require a hard border.

A Scottish Conservative Party spokesman told the Scotsman in 2018: It was made perfectly clear during the 2014 campaign that a hard border would be required if Scotland and England had different arrangements in relation to the EU.

Given the UK is leaving the EU, and given its stated SNP policy for an independent Scotland to join the EU, its difficult to see how a hard border could be avoided.