Kirsty Hughes, Nicolai von Ondarza, Jess Sargeant
After the election: Scottish independence becomes more likely
Host: Esme Nicholson
SWP Podcast 2021/eP 07, May 2021
The Scottish National Party (SNP) achieved a majority together with the pro-independence Greens in the regional elections in May 2021 and is now seeking a second independence referendum. But the path to this is uncertain – in contrast to the first referendum in 2014, the approval of the British Parliament is unlikely and the authority to decide on a new referendum is disputed. This also poses challenges for the European Union. The renewed push for independence is closely linked to the unwanted exit from the EU from the Scottish perspective, but hard Brexit makes independence with potential EU membership even more complicated. Together with two guests, Jess Sargeant from the Institute for Government in London and Kirsty Hughes from the Scottish Centre on European Relations in Edinburgh we discuss the potential road to a 2nd independence referendum, its implications on British and Scottish politics and the potential issues for the EU:
Link to the podcast:
www.swp-berlin.org/en/