Scottish parliament votes to hold new independence referendum

Scotland’s Parliament voted Wednesday to hold a new referendum on Scottish independence, a move intended to increase political pressure on the British government as the UK leaves the European Union.

Lawmakers in the Edinburgh-based legislature voted 64-54 to call for holding a referendum “so that the people of Scotland can decide whether they wish it to become an independent country.”

However, the vote will have little immediate effect.

A binding referendum can’t take place without the British government’s agreement, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson this month turned down the Scottish government’s request for one on the independence question.

Johnson argues that a 2014 plebiscite, in which Scots rejected independence, was billed as a once-in-a-generation vote and should stand.

Read more via Euronews/AP