British Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s demand for a second independence referendum in a brief official letter published today.
“The Scottish people voted decisively to keep our United Kingdom together, a result which both the Scottish and UK Governments committed to respect,” the prime minister tweeted, attaching the official document.
Johnson reminded Sturgeon that she had made a personal promise that the 2014 Scottish independence referendum would be a “once in a generation” vote.
The result of that referendum, in which more than 55 percent of Scots voted to remain a part of the U.K., means another vote would be pointless, Johnson argued.
Instead he suggested that it is in Scotland’s interest not to devote valuable time to discussions about whether the nation should become independent while there are urgent domestic issues to tackle.
“Another independence referendum would continue the political stagnation that Scotland has seen for the last decade, with Scottish schools, hospitals and jobs again left behind because of a campaign to separate the UK,” the PM wrote.
Sturgeon has argued that Britain’s decision to leave the EU justifies holding another referendum on Scottish independence, given a majority of Scots voted against Brexit in 2016.