It's time for independence

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced plans to hold an independence referendum by the end of the current Scottish Parliamentary term.

The First Minister declared that legislation will be brought to Parliament in the near future to set the rules for a potential second referendum.

Commenting Dundee East MP, Stewart Hosie, said:

"The Scottish Government were elected on a mandate to hold an independence referendum if there was a 'significant material change in circumstances in the Union' which there was."

"Despite overwhelmingly voting to remain in the EU Scotland is being dragged out, this is a direct contradiction to claims made by the No campaign in 2014 who said that voting Yes would jeopardise our place in Europe."

"Polls have consistently shown that the people of Scotland, unsurprisingly, prefer independence over any form of Brexit. The Brexit chaos has outlined exactly why Scotland should be independent - because the decisions that will affect the people of Scotland should be made by the people who work and live here."

"Not only have the UK Government ignored Scotland's votes in 2016, they have ignored the warnings over medicine shortages, the drop in EU citizens coming to Scotland for work, the warnings over the negative effects that Brexit will have on the Scottish economy and the growing demand for a People's Vote."

"It has never been clearer that the UK Government does not work for the interests of Scotland. It's time for independence."

ENDS