Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has contacted Andy Burnham to request a meeting about establishing a legal pathway for a future Scottish independence referendum. This move follows a history of rejections from successive UK Prime Ministers regarding a fresh vote on the issue.
Following the Brexit referendum in 2016, then-Prime Minister David Cameron resigned and was succeeded by Theresa May. May consistently stated that "now is not the time" for another independence vote, arguing that the implications of leaving the European Union for Scotland were not yet clear. Boris Johnson, who took office in 2019, also rejected calls for a referendum, referencing the description of the 2014 vote as a "once in a generation" event. In 2022, Liz Truss, during her brief premiership, dismissed former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as an "attention seeker."
Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister before the UK Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government lacked the authority to hold an independence referendum without the consent of the UK government. Sunak maintained that there were "more pressing issues" demanding the attention of the Scottish people.
Since the Labour Party's victory in the 2024 general election, current Prime Minister Keir Starmer has echoed similar sentiments, stating that a referendum is "not a priority" and that he could not envision one occurring during his time as Prime Minister.
The 2014 Scottish independence referendum saw 55.3% vote to remain part of the United Kingdom, while 44.7% voted to leave.