Scottish leader calls for new independence vote next year

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has told lawmakers that she plans to hold a fresh referendum on Scottish independence on Oct 19, 2023.

Sturgeon said Tuesday that the question to be asked will be the same as that in Scotland's 2014 independence vote: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” Scottish voters rejected independence in the 2014 referendum, with 55% of voters saying they wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom.

The UK-wide government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson opposes a new referendum and has said the issue was settled in the 2014 vote.