Nicola Sturgeon has announced she wants to have another referendum on Scottish independence.
The Scottish minister's declaration came as she announced the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill, which is to be published at Holyrood for a consultative vote on the matter.
Sturgeon said she wants to have a 'legal, constitutional referendum', and said the bill would set out for a referendum to be held on 19 October, 2023.
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The vote will aim to determine 'the views of the people of Scotland as to whether or not Scotland should be an independent country'.
In order to reach a decision, residents will be faced with the same question they were asked in the 2014 vote: "Should Scotland be an independent country?”
The minister plans to write to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to inform him of her plans and assured she would make clear she is 'ready and willing' to negotiate the terms of an order that would give Holyrood the power to hold a referendum.
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She commented: “What I am not willing to do, what I will never do is allow Scottish democracy to be a prisoner of Boris Johnson or any prime minister.
"My determination is to secure a process that allows the people of Scotland, whether yes, no or yet to be decided, to express their views in a legal, constitutional referendum so the majority view can be established fairly and democratically.
"The steps I am setting out today seek to achieve that.”
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Johnson, who is currently in attendance at the G7 summit in Germany, said he was looking forward to hearing Sturgeon's plans about independence, but expressed belief the UK works stronger together.
"Of course we’ll see what she has to say," Johnson said, adding: “I think the important point to make is that we think the number one priority for the country is the economic pressures, the spikes in the cost of energy. Our plan for a stronger economy certainly means that we think that we’re stronger working together but we have good relations with the Scottish Government. We’ll see what she has to say.”
As Sturgeon announced the bill, she explained Scotland would not automatically become independent if the majority of people answered 'yes' to the question; instead, legislation would have to be passed by both the UK and Scottish Parliaments for the country to become independent from the UK.
Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, the Scottish Government’s most senior law officer, has agreed to refer the matter to the UK Supreme Court to assure 'legal clarity' over Scotland's plans.
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Emily Brown