On February 9, 2017, Theresa May distinguished whether there could be another Scottish independence referendum from whether there should be one. At a press conference with Italy’s prime minister, she favoured working together on negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. That was an expressed political preference, not a legal decision established by her answer. [S14]
In her March 13 Bute House speech, Nicola Sturgeon said she would seek Scottish Parliament approval the following week to agree details of a section 30 order with the UK Government. She described that order as the procedure enabling Parliament to legislate for a referendum. She also advocated offering a choice between autumn 2018 and spring 2019; the speech does not demonstrate a settled schedule. [S12]
A reader should keep three things separate: the desirability of another vote, the steps a speaker proposed, and the timing she sought. These records supply positions and intentions, not evidence of completed approval, an agreed order or implementation. May’s answer preceded Sturgeon’s speech and was not a response to it. [S12][S14]
This retrospective considers the context of March 28, 2017, using official representations retrieved in October 2026, not verified 2017 snapshots. Exact historical wording and availability at the cutoff remain unconfirmed. May spoke on February 9 and Sturgeon on March 13; these statements do not establish what happened on March 28. [S12][S14]
Source documents
- Second independence referendum: First Minister speechhttps://www.gov.scot/publications/first-ministers-speech-bute-house-march-2017/
- PM press conference with Italian Prime Minister Gentiloni: 9 February 2017https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-press-conference-with-italian-prime-minister-gentiloni-9-february-2017