The SNP will attempt to turn the next general election into a "de facto" referendum on Scottish independence after its original plan was rejected by the Supreme Court.
Nicola Sturgeon said a special party conference would be held in the New Year to determine the details of its campaign ahead of the next Westminster poll, which is expected to take place in 2024.
The First Minister held a press conference in Edinburgh today just hours after judges in London ruled the Scottish Parliament lacked the legal powers required to hold a referendum without the approval of the UK Government.
Sturgeon insisted her party was not abandoning the independence route but rather Westminster was "blocking it".
And the SNP leader claimed a "de facto" referendum was now the most obvious choice for a lawful vote on independence.
She said: "In my view, that can only be an election. The next national election scheduled for Scotland is, of course, the UK general election.
"Making that both the first and the most obvious opportunity to seek what I described as a ‘de facto’ referendum.”
Sturgeon continued: "Now that the Supreme Court’s ruling is known and de facto referendum is no longer hypothetical, it is necessary to agree the precise detail of the proposition we intend to put before the country,” Ms Sturgeon said.
She added: "Given the magnitude of these decisions for the SNP, the process of reaching them is one the party as a whole must be fully and actively involved in.
"I can therefore confirm that I will be asking our National Executive Committee to convene a special party conference in the new year to discuss and agree the detail of a proposed ‘de facto referendum’.
"In the meantime, the SNP will launch and mobilise a major campaign in defence of Scottish democracy because we should be in no doubt that, as of today, democracy is what’s at stake."
Speaking at PMQs, Rishi Sunak insisted "the people of Scotland want us to be working on fixing the major challenges that we collectively face"
The Prime Minister told MPs: "We respect the clear and definitive ruling from the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.”
"The people of Scotland want us to be working on fixing the major challenges that we collectively face, whether that’s the economy, supporting the NHS or indeed supporting Ukraine.
"Now is the time for politicians to work together and that’s what this Government will do."
The UK Government does not agree with Nicola Sturgeon’s proposal to use the next election as a de facto referendum, Downing Street has said.
Asked whether the Prime Minister agreed with the plan, his press secretary told reporters: "I don’t think that is the position of the UK Government.
"The Supreme Court’s decision today has been very clear."
She added that it was a “matter for Holyrood” and declined to comment on “constitutional arrangements”.
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