The Scottish Parliament has tonight voted to demand a new Scottish independence referendum in defiance of Theresa May's warning 'now is not the time'.
MSPs voted 69 to 59 in favour after Nicola Sturgeon warned she will not back down if Mrs May ignores her demand for a fresh Scottish independence vote.
Immediately after MSPs voted, Scotland Secretary David Mundell insisted the UK Government's position had not changed and negotiations on a referendum would not start until after Brexit was finished.
MPs and Peers must vote for a new referendum for it to be legitimate but despite tonight's events in Edinburgh, Mrs May is not required to call a vote in London.
The standoff means Miss Sturgeon will have to follow through on her warning to 'take steps' against the PM after Easter to defend the will of the Scottish Parliament.
The comments appear to hint that Ms Sturgeon could stage an advisory ballot but this would be a dangerous step fraught with questions about who would pay and whether unionist parties would take part at all.
Tonight's dramatic events come after a tense showdown between the leaders yesterday and on the eve of our divorce from the EU being formally triggered.
The vote was greeted with jubilation by fist-pumping independence supporters outside the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh
Scotland voted against independence by 55 to 45 percent in 2014 but Sturgeon argues circumstances have changed due to the Brexit vote and that Scots should not be dragged out of the EU against their will.
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