Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, inviting him to a meeting to discuss the constitutional future of Scotland. Swinney's letter proposes the establishment of a legal mechanism for triggering an independence vote.
This request follows recent comments from Prime Minister Burnham to MPs, where he stated that a border poll in Scotland, similar to Northern Ireland, would be considered if public opinion had changed and there was a clear consensus. However, Burnham also said he did not believe such a change had occurred, and Downing Street later clarified there was no shift in his position that a vote was currently "off limits."
Swinney welcomed Burnham's remarks, interpreting them as an acceptance that majority support for independence in Scotland should lead to a new referendum. He stated that it was a "long-overdue acceptance of the reality that the people of Scotland will decide their own future." Swinney concluded his letter by saying, "Now that you have agreed the principle that Scotland should have a referendum when it is likely that people would vote for independence, it is important for us to meet to discuss how we turn that principle into an agreed legal mechanism, as exists in Northern Ireland."
Professor Sir John Curtice of Strathclyde University noted that recent opinion polls suggest a very small majority in favour of independence. However, he cautioned that any claim this means Scotland is "likely" to vote to leave the UK would be challenged due to the small margins.