LONDON (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth held a gathering with Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon on Wednesday, a day after the Scottish chief set out plans to push for a second independence referendum to interrupt away from the United Kingdom.
Buckingham Palace mentioned the 96-year-old queen, who’s spending the week in Scotland, had acquired Sturgeon in addition to a Scottish Parliament official in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Palace.
On Tuesday, Sturgeon, who’s Scotland’s first minister, introduced plans for a second independence referendum to be held on October 2023, and vowed to take authorized motion if the British authorities blocks it.
Voters in Scotland, which has a inhabitants of round 5.5 million, rejected independence by 55% to 45% in a referendum in 2014.
The Scottish National Party, which runs Scotland’s semi-autonomous authorities, says Britain’s choice in a referendum in 2016 to go away the European Union – a transfer opposed by a majority of Scots – means the problem should be put to a second vote.
The British authorities of Prime Minister Boris Johnson opposes a new referendum and says the query was settled in 2014.
The queen, who has missed a number of public occasions in latest months on account of difficulties together with her mobility, has been seen smiling and watching occasions in the course of the annual “Royal Week” in Scotland.
Photographs confirmed her shaking palms and chatting with Sturgeon.
The SNP has mentioned it desires the queen to stay as head of state if Scotland turns into unbiased.
The photos confirmed Sturgeon speaking to the queen a couple of bottle of Scottish whiskey and different objects. “What a pleasant factor to have,” the queen mentioned.
(Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by William Schomberg)
