How can they call ANOTHER referendum so soon?
Is a second referendum justified?
Theresa May argues there should not be a second vote, because only two-and-a-half years ago the Scottish people voted firmly – 55 per cent to 45 per cent – for the Union.
She points out that Alex Salmond, first minister at the time, described the September 2014 vote as ‘once in a generation’.
But his successor, Nicola Sturgeon, argues last year’s Brexit referendum changes everything, because the people of Scotland voted by 62 per cent to Remain. This, she insists, marks a ‘material change’ in Scotland’s circumstances.
Whose decision is it to hold a referendum?
The legal authority to hold a referendum is held by the UK Parliament at Westminster.
Miss Sturgeon will next week request an order under Section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998, the legislation which enshrined devolution.
She will seek support for this in the Scottish Parliament. The SNP does not have a majority but she will get it through thanks to support from independence-supporting Greens. Mrs May will then have to decide whether to accept a second referendum. If she does, it needs approval from both the Commons and the Lords.
Who decides on timing?
This is a joint decision between Edinburgh and Westminster following negotiations.
If Mrs May agrees to a referendum, she will want to ensure it takes place after Britain has left the European Union.
Miss Sturgeon said she wants to hold the plebiscite in late 2018 or early 2019 – before the UK is set to leave. Unionists say this is unacceptable and mean people would be voting blind, as they will not know the shape of the final deal.
What happens if Westminster doesn’t give permission?
The Scottish Government could decide to hold its own referendum, but it would not be legally binding.
And a vote could also fall foul of the Supreme Court, which may rule that an independence vote is only allowed with Westminster’s consent under the terms of the Scotland Act 1998.
Who decides on the question?
If things go the same way as the first referendum, the question will initially be set by the Scottish Government.
However, the Electoral Commission intervened last time to say the original wording was biased and would push people towards an independence vote.
The SNP accepted a change to the form: ‘ Should Scotland be an independent country?’.
Who is able to vote?
Everyone over the age of 16 is eligible, as are European Union and Commonwealth nationals living in Scotland.
But Scottish-born people living in the rest of the UK cannot vote. English, Welsh and Northern Irish people resident in Scotland can vote.
What do the polls show?
One poll found that only four in ten people in Scotland actually want a second vote – but support for independence has increased narrowly in recent weeks.
An Ipsos Mori poll for STV found the vote was split exactly 50/50. A BMG survey for the Herald suggested a narrow majority of 52 per cent supported the Union.
Could an independent Scotland stay in the EU?
In 2012, the EU said an independent Scotland would have to reapply for membership after leaving the UK. This could take years as Scotland would have to go through a long period of negotiation with Brussels.
It would also have to comply with a series of accession criteria including, potentially, joining the euro. There is also the possibility some EU countries would simply block membership. Spain, for example, is fighting off an independence drive from its region of Catalonia and could seek to prevent Scottish entry as a warning to secessionists.
Will there be a hard border?
At the last referendum, the Unionist side argued that passport checks would have to be introduced on the border between England and Scotland. They will now argue that, post-Brexit, the threat of a hard border is stronger than it was because the UK is now leaving the single market.
This is because if Scotland stays in the EU, Brussels could demand checks to stop English people taking advantage of freedom of movement while the rest of the UK may want its own checks.
What currency will Scotland use?
Last time around, the SNP insisted Scotland would continue to use the pound – in effect a currency union with the rest of the UK.
But the Treasury said it would not support this, and it is likely Chancellor Philip Hammond would restate this position.
That would mean Scotland would be left with the choice of creating its own currency or the highly controversial option of joining the euro.
Where is the Labour Party?
In chaos, with leader Jeremy Corbyn making contradictory claims over whether he supports the right of Scots to hold another referendum. If Scotland walks away, it would have disastrous consequences for his party.
Traditionally, Labour has relied on more than 40 seats north of the border to help it win majorities at Westminster.
Despite its recent collapse to third place in Scotland, independence would rule out Labour ever regaining territory it once dominated, making it potentially impossible for the party to win a majority in the UK again.
How would Scotland leaving change the UK?
The Ministry of Defence would have to find another location for Trident, which is presently located in the west of Scotland at Faslane. The SNP has said it would demand the UK move its nuclear deterrent if it becomes independent.
The Union Flag – an iconic cultural symbol around the world – may also have to be changed, to remove the blue-and-white Scottish saltire.
There are also fears it could increase the clamour for Welsh independence and the unification of Ireland.