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Could Scotland leave the UK… and stay in the EU?

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Image caption Supporters of independence have been hoping for a new referendum since 2014

A second referendum on Scottish independence should be held in 2020, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says.

The SNP’s goal is for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom and rejoin the EU as an independent member state. But how could this happen?

Why is Scottish independence back in the spotlight?

Scotland held an independence referendum in September 2014, with the No campaign winning 55% of the votes.

But then, in 2016, Brexit happened. Voters in Scotland backed Remain by 62% – but those across the UK as a whole voted Leave by 52%.

The SNP saw this as a “material change in circumstances” which would justify a second independence ballot, because Scotland faced being taken out of the EU “against its will”.

And the party has since performed strongly in elections. It won 48 of the 59 seats north of the border in last week’s general election, while campaigning to “put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands”.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-50813510

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