Catalogue description Agreement between the United Kingdom Government and the Scottish Government on a referendum on independence for Scotland

In May 2007 at the Scottish Parliament Elections the Scottish National Party won 47 seats, one more than the Scottish Labour Party, and formed a minority government with Alex Salmond as First Minister, and in February 2010 it published a draft bill into its proposed referendum on independence.

In May 2011 the Scottish National Party achieved a majority win in the Scottish Election and in October at its autumn conference, launched its drive for independence, under its manifesto pledge of a referendum 'near the end of the five-year parliament'.

In January 2012 the Scottish Secretary Michael Moore announced in the House of Commons that the Scottish government did not have legal power for a referendum on independence and he formally offered to resolve that by transferring powers to Holyrood under Section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998, the Act which founded the Scottish Parliament.

On 12 October 2012 Ministers from the UK and Scottish governments reached an agreement on the independence referendum and the full agreement, including the terms of the Section 30 Order, went to the First Minister and the Prime Minister for discussion and approval, with it being signed three days later on 15 October by David Cameron MP, Prime Minister, Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister of Scotland, Michael Moore MP, Secretary of State for Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister of Scotland.

The UK and Scottish Governments agreed to promote an Order in Council under Section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998 in the United Kingdom and Scottish Parliaments to allow a single Yes/No question referendum on Scottish independence to be held before the end of 2014. The Order will allow the Scottish Parliament to legislate for the Referendum and it will be for the Scottish Government to promote legislation in the Scottish Parliament for a referendum on independence. The Referendum legislation will set out the date of the Referendum, the franchise, the wording of the question, rules on campaign financing and other rules for the conduct of the Referendum. Details of the Agreement between the Governments are set out in the Memorandum and draft Order, which form part of the Agreement.