Scotland's parliament has voted in favour of a call by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a second referendum on Scottish independence within two years, but the British government has refused to discuss it.

The motion passed 69 votes to 59 on Tuesday and paves the way for the opening of formal talks between Scotland and the British government on the new referendum, coming just three years after Scottish voters rejected independence.

Al Jazeera's Neave Barker, reporting from London, said it was "a significant step forward for supporters of Scottish independence in bringing about something that was essentially scuppered back in 2014".

"For Brexit supporters, it means a massive headache," he said.

On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to trigger Article 50 of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, the first formal step towards Brexit that Scotland opposes.

Sturgeon, who leads the Scottish National Party (SNP), has complained that her efforts to seek a compromise on Britain's exit from the EU met intransigence from May's Conservative government.

"Scotland's future should be in Scotland's hands," Sturgeon told lawmakers in the Edinburgh-based parliament.

She told Scottish legislators she would seek to negotiate with the British government "in good faith and with a willingness to compromise".

Should that fail, she promised to inform the parliament of the next steps next month.

London's response

Shortly after the parliament's approval, the British government said on Tuesday it would not be entering into negotiations on the referendum.

"It would be unfair to the people of Scotland to ask them to make a crucial decision without the necessary information about our future relationship with Europe, or what an independent Scotland would look like," it said.

Al Jazeera's Nadim Baba, reporting from Edinburgh, said the current public opinion in Scotland on the issue was divided in the middle.

"What people in Scotland want to know is what exactly the relationship with the EU would be in future and whether its worth prioritising staying in the EU over the trade union with the rest of the UK," he said.

The UK's vote last year to exit the EU has strained ties between its four constituent parts because England and Wales voted to leave while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain.</s>Scottish National party's applaud after vote on second referendum on independence.</s>EDINBURGH, Scotland (CNN) — Scottish lawmakers voted 69-59 in favor of an independence referendum Tuesday, setting Edinburgh on a collision course with the UK government.

The vote by members of the Scottish Parliament gives the green light to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to ask the UK Parliament for a referendum between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated she will reject the Sturgeon’s timetable. Britain is expected to leave the European Union in 2019, and May has said that “now is not the time” for a vote that could break up the United Kingdom.

But Sturgeon has said there is an “unquestionable democratic mandate” for a referendum.

In a failed 2014 referendum on independence, Scotland voted 55% to 45% to remain in the UK. But the Scottish National Party, led by Sturgeon, said the landscape has changed since Britain decided to leave the EU.

Sturgeon said the Brexit vote is forcing Scotland out of the EU against its will as 62% of Scots voted in June to remain in the bloc.

Opening the referendum debate in the Edinburgh Parliament last week, Sturgeon said it would be “wrong, unfair and utterly unsustainable” for the UK government to block her request.

There has been fierce opposition to a fresh referendum from the Scottish Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.

But the Scottish National Party, the largest party in the Parliament, will be backed by the Green Party, enabling Sturgeon to put May under increased pressure.

The two leaders met Monday in Glasgow ahead of the UK government’s plans to trigger Article 50 on Wednesday, the formal announcement of a separation from the EU.

In comments reported by the UK Press Association, Sturgeon said May had been clear that the terms of the UK’s divorce from the EU and the details of a new free trade deal would be known within two years.

“I think it makes it very difficult for the Prime Minister to maintain a rational opposition to a referendum in the time scale I have set out,” Sturgeon said.</s>EDINBURGH, Scotland – Scottish lawmakers voted Tuesday to seek a new referendum on independence, presenting the British government with an unwelcome distraction as it prepares to push the European Union exit button.

The Edinburgh-based legislature voted 69-59 to ask the British government to sanction an independence vote that would be held within the next two years. Outside, several dozen independence supporters bearing Scottish and EU flags broke into cheers and tears of joy as the news broke.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who asked lawmakers to authorize her to request the referendum, says Scots must be given the chance to vote on their future before Britain leaves the European Union. British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to launch the U.K’s two-year process of exiting the EU on Wednesday by triggering Article 50 of the bloc’s key treaty.

Britain as a whole voted to leave the bloc in a referendum last year, but Scots voted by a large margin to stay.

“Scotland’s future should be in Scotland’s hands,” Sturgeon told lawmakers before the vote.

Scottish voters rejected independence in a 2014 referendum that Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party called a once-in-a-generation vote. But Sturgeon says Brexit has changed the situation dramatically.

She says there should be a new vote on independence between fall 2018 and spring 2019, when details of Britain’s divorce terms with the bloc are clear.

Sturgeon said that whatever the final terms, Brexit would mean “significant and profound” change for Scotland.

“That change should not be imposed upon us,” she said. “We should have the right to decide the nature of that change.”

May, whose government must approve the referendum for it to be legally binding, says the time is not right. She says all parts of the U.K. — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — must pull together to get the best-possible deal with the EU.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson agreed, saying Tuesday that Scots do not want “the division and rancor of another referendum campaign.”

The Scottish parliament had been due to vote on Sturgeon’s referendum demand last week, but the session was adjourned after Wednesday’s extremist attack in London.

Sturgeon’s referendum call was backed by the governing Scottish nationalists and the Greens, and opposed by the Conservative and Labour parties.

It’s unclear what could break the stalemate between Edinburgh and London. British officials have indicated they would not agree to another independence referendum until Britain’s EU exit is over and done with — a process that could take longer than two years.

David Mundell, the British government’s Scotland minister, said the U.K. government would not be “entering into negotiations on whether there should be another independence referendum during the Brexit process.”

“It’s not appropriate to have a referendum whilst people do now know what the future relationship between the U.K. and the EU will be,” he said.

Sturgeon said after the vote that she would “seek sensible and constructive discussion” with the British government later this week.

“I hope the United Kingdom government will respect the view of parliament,” she said. “This is simply about giving people in Scotland a choice.”

Should that fail, Sturgeon promised to inform the parliament of next steps after its Easter break next month.</s>EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) - Scotland's parliament is set to vote on a call by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a referendum on independence within two years.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says she will formally launch the U.K's two-year European exit process on Wednesday.

Sturgeon says Scots must be given the chance to vote on their future before Britain leaves the bloc. She says "Scotland's future should be in Scotland's hands."

Scottish Independence supporters drive past the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh ahead of the vote by Members of the Scottish Parliament to hold a second Scottish independence referendum Tuesday March 28, 2017. On Monday British Prime Minister Theresa May has met Scotland's leader Nicola Sturgeon for the first time since they faced off in a struggle over a new push for Scottish independence as the U.K. leaves the European Union. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)

But May, whose government must approve a legally binding referendum, says the time is not right.Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson agreed, saying Scots do not want "the division and rancor of another referendum campaign."

The Scottish parliament is likely to back Sturgeon's referendum demand in a vote on Tuesday, but it's unclear what could break the stalemate between Edinburgh and London.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, right, and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sit during their meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday March 27, 2017. May met with Scotland's leader Monday for the first time since they faced off in a struggle over a new push for Scottish independence as the U.K. leaves the European Union. (Russell Cheyne/ PA via AP)</s>Scotland's parliament is set to vote Tuesday on a call by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a referendum on Scottish independence within two years.

Sturgeon says Scots must be given the chance to vote on their future before Britain leaves the European Union. British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to launch the U.K's two-year process to exit the EU on Wednesday by triggering Article 50 of the bloc's key treaty.

"Scotland's future should be in Scotland's hands," Sturgeon told lawmakers in the Edinburgh-based parliament.

Scottish voters rejected independence in a 2014 referendum that Sturgeon's Scottish National Party called a once-in-a-generation vote. But Sturgeon says Brexit has changed the situation dramatically.

She says there should be a new vote on independence between fall 2018 and spring 2019, when details of Britain's divorce terms with the bloc are clear.

Sturgeon said that whatever the final terms, Brexit would mean "significant and profound" change for Scotland.

"That change should not be imposed upon us," she said. "We should have the right to decide the nature of that change."

May, whose government must approve the referendum for it to be legally binding, says the time is not right. She says all parts of the U.K. — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — must pull together to get the best-possible deal with the EU.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson agreed, saying Tuesday that Scots do not want "the division and rancor of another referendum campaign."

The Scottish parliament had been due to vote on Sturgeon's referendum demand last week, but the session was adjourned after Wednesday's terrorist attack in London.

The measure is likely to be approved Tuesday, with backing from the governing Scottish nationalists and the Greens.

But it's unclear what could break the stalemate between Edinburgh and London.

Sturgeon told Scottish lawmakers she would seek to negotiate with the British government, "in good faith and with a willingness to compromise."

Should that fail, she promised to inform the parliament of next steps after its Easter break next month.</s>EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Scottish lawmakers voted Tuesday to seek a new referendum on independence, presenting the British government with an unwelcome distraction as it prepares to push the European Union exit button.

The Edinburgh-based legislature voted 69-59 to ask the U.K. government to sanction an independence vote that would be held within the next two years. Outside, several dozen independence supporters bearing Scottish and EU flags broke into cheers and tears of joy as they heard the news.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who asked lawmakers to authorize her to request the referendum, says Scots must be given the chance to vote on their future before Britain leaves the European Union.

British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to launch the U.K’s two-year process of exiting the EU on Wednesday by triggering Article 50 of the bloc’s key treaty.

Britain as a whole voted to leave the bloc in a referendum last year, but Scots voted by a large margin to stay.

“Scotland’s future should be in Scotland’s hands,” Sturgeon told lawmakers before the vote.

Scottish voters rejected independence in a 2014 referendum that Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party called a once-in-a-generation vote. But Sturgeon says Brexit has altered conditions dramatically.

She says there should be a new plebiscite on independence between fall 2018 and spring 2019, when details of Britain’s divorce terms with the bloc are clear.

Sturgeon said that whatever the final terms, Brexit would mean “significant and profound” change for Scotland.

“That change should not be imposed upon us,” she said. “We should have the right to decide the nature of that change.”

May, whose government must approve the referendum for it to be legally binding, says the time is not right. She says all parts of the U.K. – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – must pull together to get the best-possible deal with the EU.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson agreed, saying Tuesday that Scots do not want “the division and rancor of another referendum campaign.”

The Scottish parliament had been due to vote on Sturgeon’s referendum demand last week, but the session was adjourned after Wednesday’s extremist attack in London.

Sturgeon’s referendum call was backed by the governing Scottish nationalists and the Greens, and opposed by the Conservative and Labour parties.

It’s unclear what could break the stalemate between Edinburgh and London. British officials have indicated they would not agree to another independence referendum until Britain’s EU exit is over and done with – a process that could take longer than two years.

David Mundell, the British government’s Scotland minister, said the U.K. government would not be “entering into negotiations on whether there should be another independence referendum during the Brexit process.”

“It’s not appropriate to have a referendum whilst people do now know what the future relationship between the U.K. and the EU will be,” he said.

Sturgeon said after the vote that she would “seek sensible and constructive discussion” with the British government later this week.

“I hope the United Kingdom government will respect the view of parliament,” she said. “This is simply about giving people in Scotland a choice.”

Should that fail, Sturgeon promised to inform the parliament of next steps after its Easter break next month.

In Edinburgh, supporters of Scottish independence urged Sturgeon to forge ahead.

Scott Murray, a 71-year-old music tutor, said the vote for Brexit had changed everything.

“I think we should have another referendum,” Murray said. “I feel that we are divorced from what happens in the south of England and we should be our own country and stand on our own two feet.”

But plumber Brian Hamilton, 45, said he’d be happier if members of the Scottish National Party government “got on with their day jobs” rather than focusing on Europe.

“They say they speak for the people of Scotland, but they don’t speak for the people of Scotland because they are not representing me whatsoever,” he said.</s>Scottish lawmakers voted Tuesday to seek a new referendum on independence, to be held within the next two years — an unwanted headache for the British government as it prepares to push the European Union exit button.

The Edinburgh-based legislature voted 69 to 59 to back First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's call to ask the British government for an independence vote. Outside, several dozen independence supporters bearing Scottish and EU flags broke into cheers and tears of joy as the news broke.

Sturgeon says Scots must be given the chance to vote on their future before Britain leaves the European Union. British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to launch the U.K.’s two-year process of exiting the EU on Wednesday by triggering Article 50 of the bloc's key treaty.

Britain as a whole voted to leave the bloc in a referendum last year, but Scots voted by a large margin to stay.

“Scotland's future should be in Scotland's hands,” Sturgeon told lawmakers before the vote.

Scottish voters rejected independence in a 2014 referendum that Sturgeon's Scottish National Party called a once-in-a-generation vote. But Sturgeon says Brexit has changed the situation dramatically.

She says there should be a new vote on independence between fall 2018 and spring 2019, when details of Britain's divorce terms with the bloc are clear.

Sturgeon said that whatever the final terms, Brexit would mean “significant and profound” change for Scotland.

“That change should not be imposed upon us,” she said. “We should have the right to decide the nature of that change.”

May, whose government must approve the referendum for it to be legally binding, says the time is not right. She says all parts of the U.K. — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — must pull together to get the best-possible deal with the EU.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson agreed, saying Tuesday that Scots do not want “the division and rancor of another referendum campaign.”

The Scottish parliament had been due to vote on Sturgeon's referendum demand last week, but the session was adjourned after Wednesday's extremist attack in London.

Sturgeon's referendum call was backed by the governing Scottish nationalists and the Greens, and opposed by the Conservative and Labor parties.

It's unclear what could break the stalemate between Edinburgh and London. British officials have indicated they would not agree to another independence referendum until Britain's EU exit is over and done with — a process that could take longer than two years.

“It's not appropriate to have a referendum whilst people do not know what the future relationship between the U.K. and the EU will be,” David Mundell, the British government's Scotland minister, said.

Sturgeon told Scottish lawmakers she would seek to negotiate with the British government, “in good faith and with a willingness to compromise.”

Should that fail, she promised to inform Parliament of next steps after its Easter break next month.

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9:45 a.m.: This story has been updated with reaction, details and background.

This story was originally published at 9:30 a.m.</s>LONDON — The Scottish Parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of seeking another referendum on independence, setting the stage for a clash between the British prime minister and the first minister of Scotland.

The motion in the semiautonomous Scottish Parliament had been widely expected to pass, with the minority Scottish National Party government and the Scottish Greens supporting it.

Advocates for Scottish independence now have parliamentary authority for a referendum. But holding a binding referendum still requires approval from the British government.

Prime Minister Theresa May has not ruled out a second referendum, but she has rejected the proposed timetable. The Scottish motion calls for a vote by spring 2019.

Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party, wants the referendum held within two years. In such a scenario, Britain would be engaged in negotiations to leave the European Union - a process often referred to as Brexit - while, simultaneously, Scotland would vote in a referendum on independence from Britain.

"Scotland's future should be in Scotland's hands," Sturgeon said before the parliamentary vote, which was originally slated for last Wednesday but was postponed after a deadly terrorist attack in London that day.

Sturgeon met with May in Scotland on Monday to discuss the upcoming Brexit negotiations and the possibility of a second referendum on Scottish independence.

During the talks in Glasgow, Sturgeon said, May made clear that the details of Britain's divorce deal would be known within two years.

"When that deal emerges, I think people in Scotland should have an informed choice about whether that's the path they want to take, or whether they want to take the path of becoming an independent country," Sturgeon told the BBC.

May has repeatedly said that "now is not the time" for another independence ballot. "Now is the time when we should be pulling together, not hanging apart," she told reporters after her meeting with Sturgeon.

"We have a standoff, and there's not going to be any immediate resolution," said John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde. But he said that an informal campaign for independence has begun and that the argument ahead would center on when - not if - a fresh referendum will occur.

David Mundell, the British government's Scotland secretary, told the BBC on Tuesday, "We won't be entering into any negotiations at all until the Brexit process is complete."

Sturgeon has signaled that she is willing to negotiate the date "within reason."

On Wednesday, May will trigger Article 50, the formal mechanism that will officially kick off the process of Britain's withdrawing from the EU. Divorce talks between Britain and the EU are expected to last two years.

Sturgeon dropped a bombshell this month when she said she would seek a new referendum.

In 2014, Scotland voted 55 percent in favor of staying in the United Kingdom. At the time, Scottish leaders said it was a "once in a generation" vote. But Sturgeon has argued that last year's British referendum on the EU - in which a majority of Scottish voters chose to remain in the bloc and a majority of English voters opted to leave - represents a "material change in circumstances" and that Scotland risks being taken out of the EU against its will.

Pollsters say support for Scottish independence is roughly where it was in 2014.

Scotland is "split down the middle" on whether to have a referendum and on the outcome, said Mark Diffley, research director at the Ipsos MORI survey firm. He added that both sides hope the ongoing debate will "shift the dial."

Later this week, Sturgeon will write to May requesting permission to hold a new referendum by spring 2019. If the request is turned down - as is expected - she said she will return to the Scottish Parliament after Easter to set out her next steps.</s>Scottish parliament votes in support of holding second independence referendum

The Scottish parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of a bid to hold the second independence referendum in light of Brexit between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, Sputnik reported.

As many as 69 lawmakers voted in favor, while 59 voted against.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is now able to officially ask the UK parliament for permission to hold a new vote in Scotland.

Last week, Sturgeon recalled that Scotland voted overwhelmingly against Brexit in last year's referendum, stressing that the country should not be taken out of Europe against its will.

In 2014, Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom, however, the 2016 Brexit vote showed that Scotland differed from England on the European Union membership, as it backed staying with the bloc by 62 percent against 38 percent.

Scotland is now split roughly in half on the issue of independence, according to the latest Ipsos MORI poll, in a significant change from 2014, when 55 percent voted against leaving the United Kingdom.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to initiate the talks on the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union on March 29. The UK parliament has already passed the government's Brexit bill unamended.

May's government has made strong statements against a mid-Brexit second Scottish independence referendum, while Sturgeon insisted that its timing for 2018-2019 would be "common sense" as an outline of a post-Brexit UK-EU deal would become clear by then and allow Scots to make a rational decision.
Lawmakers in the Scottish Parliament vote in favor of holding a second independence referendum for the country within two years.