The article starts with these words:
The SNP, with the first Minister of Scotland in full cry, has said it expects another Scottish independence referendum soon. The so called ‘Indyref 2’.
The terms of the 2014 referendum vote were negotiated between the then UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, Alex Salmond, Scotland’s then First Minister and SNP leader, with the significant involvement of Nicola Sturgeon.
In the week before the referendum, both sides said that they would abide by the result. Alex Salmond said it was a "once in a generation" event, citing the precedent of the two devolution referendums in 1979 and 1997.
There is no doubt that everyone voting in that referendum felt and believed it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. No repeat performance would occur every few years. Why should it? Any future referendum was not to be at the whim or insistence of any First Minister or their political followers and irrespective of how successful or otherwise the SNP was in the Scottish Parliament elections. Indeed, ultimately it is rightly a matter for the government of the UK. Why? Because the break-up of the United Kingdom is a fundamental matter for the whole of the UK.
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