Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced she is sending a letter to U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Thursday which asks that the U.K. Parliament grants its Scottish counterpart the right to hold another referendum on independence.

Sturgeon who leads the Scottish National Party (SNP) told reporters in Edinburgh that while the case for independence was yet to be won, an ability to vote on the matter must again be placed in the hands of Scots.

"We are a nation, no better or worse than any other... As a nation, our future, whatever we choose that to be, must be in the hands of people that live here," said Sturgeon.

In last week's U.K.-wide general election, the SNP won 48 of the country's 59 available seats — 13 more than the pro-independence party won in 2017. The Conservative Party, while winning a large majority across the whole of the United Kingdom, lost seven seats in Scotland.

The Scottish government has said it wants a legal referendum that is respected by the wider international community.

The letter, sent by Sturgeon to Johnson, is a request to allow the governments of both the U.K. and Scotland to now enter talks on transferring such legal powers to hold a vote.

Sturgeon said Scotland's lack of political self-determination had been made clear since the 2016 Brexit referendum, when around two thirds of voters in Scotland opted to remain in the European Union, adding that result had "raised questions about our voice and our democracy."

Johnson, who now enjoys a strong majority in the U.K. Parliament, has already indicated that he would reject any fresh call to allow another vote on Scotland's independence.

According to Downing Street, Johnson "reiterated his unwavering commitment" to the Union during a phone call with Sturgeon early last Friday, as the results of the U.K. election were becoming clear.