Nicola Sturgeon refused to turn down a new vote on Scottish independence next year.

The First Minister said that a referendum should be held at the beginning of the next Scottish Parliament.

She told Sky News: “I want to see this in the first half of the next term of the Scottish Parliament.”

This will be possible in the fall of 2021.

Sturgeon continued: “I reject nothing, I judge nothing.

“There is a lot of uncertainty right now because of the epidemic.

“For all the reasons I have given, I think it’s clear that Scotland will soon have the powers of independence, so we are charting our own future, and it will be good for all of us.”

Sturgeon said the Supreme Court has not ruled out a legal challenge if Westminster refuses to allow a second independence referendum.

I have never ruled out a situation that has never been determined in the courts – does the Scottish Parliament have the power to hold a referendum on what Westminster should say or not? It has never been tried. I have never rejected it.

“It simply came to our notice then.

“Boris Johnson and I can argue whether Scotland should be free or not – it’s perfectly legal to argue against it.

“In my view, what is not legal or acceptable is not for the Scottish people to decide. He can somehow stand in the way of democracy,” he said.