Scottish Parliament

The Scottish National Party (SNP) of head of government Nicola Sturgeon announced that it would hold a "legal referendum" after the end of the pandemic. The precondition, she said, is that pro-independence parties again win a majority in the regional election scheduled for May 6. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson strongly opposes a new referendum.

In its roadmap, the SNP stresses that the British government in London has three options. Either it concedes that the Scottish Parliament already has the power to call a referendum or it officially authorizes the vote. Alternatively, it could try to challenge "the wish of the Scottish people" in court.

With 52 votes to 0 votes and 11 abstentions, the Scottish Parliament has passed a motion that calls the government of the United Kingdom to "immediately suspend all export licences for tear gas, rubber bullets and riot gear to the US" and states that it "stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement".