Indyref2: 'Counter-petition' backing new poll passes 20,000 signatures

A petition urging the UK Government to back a new referendum on independence has been signed by over 20,000 people, as a similar petition urging the opposite continued to garner support.

A "counter-petition" has been launched. Picture: John Devlin

The petition, titled “Agree to a second referendum on Scottish Independence” was posted yesterday, seemingly in response to the petition headlined “Another Scottish referendum should not be allowed to happen”.

The explanation for the petition states: “The actions of the UK Government after the Brexit vote do not align with the people of Scotland. We are not bigoted. We are not racist. We welcome everybody based on their contribution, not on where they come from.

“The UK Government does not behave in this way and so we must LEAVE.”

A "counter-petition" has been launched. Picture: John Devlin

The petition has passed the 10,000 mark and will now receive an official response from the Government.

The anti-referendum petition, which has over 150,000 signatures, will be considered for a debate in the House of Commons.

While parliamentary petitions can be signed by anyone from the UK, the vast majority of signatories on both petitions have been from Scotland, according to an interactive map.

A "counter-petition" has been launched. Picture: John Devlin

The most popular constituency for signatures on the pro-referendum petition was Edinburgh North and Leith, held by the SNP’s Deirdre Brock.

Curiously, Brock’s constituency was one of the most popular areas for signatories on the petition calling on the referendum to be blocked by Theresa May’s Government.

Nicola Sturgeon fired the starting gun on a new referendum when she announced on Monday that she would seek the transfer to Holyrood of the powers to hold a new vote on separation.

So far, the UK Government has indicated that it has no intention to allow a referendum within Ms Sturgeon’s preferred time-scale of between Autumn 2018 and Spring 2019.