Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party is expected to fall one seat short of winning the 65 required in the 129-seat parliament, but she will retain control for a historic 4th consecutive term. And Scottish voters have given a clear mandate for an independence referendum by overwhelmingly electing supportive politicians, Sturgeon says. “Given the outcome of this election, there is simply no democratic justification whatsoever for Boris Johnson or anyone else seeking to block the right of the people of Scotland to choose our future,” she said. The UK Parliament must approve the referendum, but UK PM Johnson said on Saturday that it would be “irresponsible and reckless” given the coronavirus and current economic challenges. Next steps: Johnson will hold a crisis meeting with the devolved leaders of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland to discuss “shared challenges”.