Scotland's right to choose: putting Scotland's future in Scotland's hands

The people of Scotland's right to choose their future - Summary

Scotland is a nation.

Following the political union of 1707, that nationhood has been demonstrated in many ways, including through separate political and legal structures, through devolution, through the 2014 independence referendum, and through a distinct Scottish constitutional tradition.

The right of the people of Scotland to determine the form of government best suited to their needs has been consistently accepted for decades across the political spectrum, and is powerfully demonstrated by Scotland's recent history.

The United Kingdom is best understood as a voluntary association of nations, in keeping with the principles of democracy and self‑determination.

For the place of Scotland in the United Kingdom to be based on the people of Scotland's consent, Scotland must be able to choose whether and when it should make a decision about its future.

The decision whether the time is right for the people who live in Scotland again to make a choice about their constitutional future is for the Scottish Parliament, as the democratic voice of Scotland, to make.