Sturgeon says she will ‘forge ahead’ with another referendum on Scottish independence

Nicola Sturgeon has said the Scottish Government will “forge ahead” with a referendum on independence next year – even if the UK government refuses to transfer the powers to hold one, as they did ahead of the vote in 2014.

It sets up a potential battle in the courts over whether such a move would be lawful.

The first minister was unveiling an outline of her vision for Scotland as an independent EU state, admitting there would be “issues” around cross-border trade.