The UK Government is to consider debating whether a second Scottish independence referendum should be allowed to take place.
The news comes on the day a petition on the UK Government website surpasses the 100,000 signatures needed to trigger a potential parliamentary debate.
Entitled ‘Another Scottish independence referendum should not be allowed to happen’, the petition, created by John Innes, says: “We in Scotland are fed up of persecution by the SNP leader who is solely intent on getting independence at any cost.
“As a result, Scotland is suffering hugely.”
So far, 115,000 signatures have been added with the number steadily rising.
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The UK Government must now respond to the petition within 21 days.
A House of Commons spokesman has said the petitions committee usually approves debates unless “the subject has recently been debated or is likely to be debated in the near future”, or if “the subject is unsuitable for debate in parliament.”
He told STV News: “The committee will consider all petitions that have received 100,000 signatures by Friday afternoon at its subsequent meeting. The committee meets on Tuesday afternoons.”
Tory MSP Annie Wells said Scots have been telling her “they do not have the appetite for another divisive independence referendum.”
She said: “I swear I will fight with my heart, body, and soul to stop the SNP and Greens destroying our beloved country.”
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Just two days ago, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she planned to trigger another independence referendum.
Ms Sturgeon said that, at the earliest, the vote could be held in autumn 2018.
Speaking at Bute House in Edinburgh, she said: “In my view, it is important thAT Scotland is able to exercise the right to choose our own future at a time when the options are clearer than they are now, but before it is too late to decide our own path.”
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