UK Referendum on EU Membership Ignites Scottish Leadership

Scotland’s top politician warned Tuesday that a future United Kingdom referendum on leaving the European Union could spark a new drive for independence in Scotland.

In a speech in Brussels, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for a “double-majority” system in the 2017 referendum that would require the support of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland before the United Kingdom could leave the EU.

Sturgeon warned that British Prime Minister David Cameron’s in/out referendum “would provoke a strong backlash” if it was decided by a simple majority of Britons. Scotland is largely seen as supporting Britain’s place within the EU.