John Swinney’s Scottish Government has published draft legislation for a second independence referendum, but the Prime Minister’s spokesman said such a vote remains “off the table”. The proposal matters because Holyrood cannot currently hold an independence referendum without Westminster’s consent, leaving the Bill dependent on powers the UK Government has declined to transfer.

The draft Bill would ask voters: “Should Scotland be an independent country? Yes or No”, and is the SNP’s fourth such draft proposal in a decade. Swinney argued Scotland’s circumstances have changed since 2014, citing Brexit and living standards, while the Scottish Conservatives used his government’s first 100 days to criticise SNP delivery on NHS waiting lists, crime and public services.