Scotland independence debate intensifies on 2014 referendum anniversary

On the 12th anniversary of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, debate has resurfaced regarding the feasibility and democratic necessity of a new vote. Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, Jenny Gilruth, argued that a new generation of voters must be allowed to decide Scotland's future. She noted that by 2029, an estimated one million people who were ineligible to vote in 2014 will have become eligible, and by 2030, many voters will not have been born during the previous referendum.

Gilruth stated that the Scottish Government intends to hold a new referendum within the current parliamentary term, claiming independence would lower energy bills and allow Scotland to rejoin the European Union.

Conversely, critics and think tanks have raised concerns regarding the lack of a concrete plan for independence. The Glasgow-based think tank Common Weal has stated there is currently no ‘properly worked-out plan’ or ‘implementable prospectus’ for what would occur if a ‘Yes’ vote were achieved, despite the Scottish Government having previously published 14 papers on the subject.