Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The Scottish Parliament has delayed its independence referendum vote

Scottish MSPs had been reaching the end of their debate on whether to request a second referendum when the Westminster attack took place

Tom Peck
Thursday 23 March 2017 18:30 GMT
Comments
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had been addressing Holyrood's referendum debate before the attack at Westminster occurred
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had been addressing Holyrood's referendum debate before the attack at Westminster occurred (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Holyrood’s vote on a second independence referendum has been postponed until next week, after the debate on the matter was curtailed in the wake of Wednesday’s terrorist attack at Westminster.

The Scottish parliament vote on whether to formally request a second referendum will now take place on Tuesday 28 March, the day before Theresa May intends to trigger Article 50 and begin the UK’s exit from the European Union.

The Scottish Parliament had been close to the end of its debate on Wednesday afternoon, eventually suspending its sitting at around four o clock.

On Thursday morning it was decided not to return to the debate.

If the SNP win the vote next Tuesday, as they are expected to do so, it will mean she is likely to receive a formal request to grant Scotland a second referendum on independence in the evening before she sends a letter to Brussels to notify the EU of the UK’s intention to leave.

The Prime Minister is due to visit Scotland before triggering Article 50 , as part of a UK tour to the three devolved countries.

Moments after Holyrood was suspended on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said: "My thoughts, as I'm sure the thoughts of everybody in Scotland tonight, are with people caught up in this dreadful event.

"My condolences in particular go to those who've lost loved ones.

"My thoughts are with those who've sustained injuries and we all feel a sense of solidarity with the people of London tonight."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in