Scotland’s road to IndyRef2, between two Unions

Abstract

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, has announced a second independence referendum will be held on 19 October 2023. Given the UK government’s refusal to negotiate a new independence referendum, the call for this referendum, popularly known as IndyRef2, is shrouded in great uncertainty. The aim of this article is to assess the chances of this second Scottish independence referendum finally taking place. To do so, it will begin by taking a historical overview of the different referendums that have been held in this territory, analysing their consequences and how their given results have influenced the strategies of certain political parties (specifically, the Scottish National Party). Subsequently, the arguments for and against holding a second independence referendum for Scotland will be presented, and the article will finish by assessing the real possibilities of IndyRef2 being held on the date planned by the Scottish authorities. This investigation concludes by anticipating that, over the next few years, the Scottish territorial question will continue to be a key element in the internal politics of the United Kingdom.

Keywords

• indyref2
• scotland
• secession
• referendum
• european union
• united kingdom
• brexit