First minister to lay out plans next week for Scottish indy referendum

Scotland’s first minister is to lay out her government’s plan next week for potentially holding a referendum on Scottish independence.

Nicola Sturgeon launched the latest campaign for another vote to leave the UK last week, publishing a “scenesetting” paper – the first in a series that will make up a new prospectus for an independent Scotland.

Despite expected policy announcements in the coming months for a postreferendum Scotland, the path to the vote looks less clear.

The UK Government has repeatedly rejected a section 30 order – a clause in the Scotland Act that would allow for a legal referendum to be held – with little indication of any change in mindset from Westminster.

The SNP made clear last year it would seek to pass legislation for another referendum and fight any legal challenge from the UK Government to strike it down.

During her speech from Bute House last week, the first minister said she would deliver a “significant update” to Parliament before summer recess.

It is understood an announcement is due next Tuesday afternoon, provided it is agreed to by the cross-party group which sets the parliamentary timetable.

In her speech, the first minister acknowledged there were legal “challenges” stemming from her plans to hold a referendum in October next year.

“What would be unfair to independence supporters, in fact unfair to the country, would be for me to stand here and pretend that there’s not challenges to navigate through,” she said.

She added that her party had been given a “mandate”, along with the Scottish Greens, for another vote, saying: “I intend to honour that.”

The announcement drew the ire of Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron, who said Scots were “sick and tired of the SNP’s obsession with independence”.

The SNP have been the largest party in every election in Scotland for more than a decade.

“It would be unfair for me to pretend that there’s not challenges