Second Scottish Referendum Bill
A bill to grant self-determination to the Scottish people| Bill ID | B047 |
|---|---|
| Author(s) |
 The
Rt Hon Charles A. Gladstone mp |
| Amended by | N/A |
| First reading | 2020 August 5 |
| Royal assent | TBC |
| Commencement | TBC |
| Affected legislation | N/A |
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
1 The referendum
- A referendum shall be held with the question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”, with options ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ provided. The ballot paper should also be provided with questions and options in Scots and Scottish Gaelic.
- The referendum shall be administered by the Scottish Government.
- The referendum shall be held in Scotland.
- The referendum will be open to all registered voters in Scotland, with registration closing one week before the day of the referendum.
- If a majority of votes received return a “Yes” vote, HM Government will undertake to enter negotiations with the devolved government on matters such as the status of the border, defence, fishing, currency and any other relevant matters for the new Scottish state, with the objective that Scotland become an independent nation by the 30th November, 2023. Parliament is empowered to change that date if that is in joint agreement with the Scottish government.
- If the majority of votes received are in the negative, HM Government will undertake to establish a royal commission on strengthening devolution in consultation with the Scottish devolved authorities, but undertake to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom.
- No referendum shall be held after this referendum on the question of Scottish independence within 10 years of this referendum. This requirement is waived if either the Parliament of the United Kingdom or the Scottish Parliament identify an extraordinary change in circumstances.
- The date of the referendum and the length of the campaign may be determined by an Order-in-Council.
2 Timing, commencement, and extent
- This Act applies to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- This Act may be cited as the Second Scottish Referendum Act 2020.
- This Act comes into force upon receiving Royal Assent.