Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Friday said her devolved government would publish a "detailed democratic case" for a transfer of power from London to allow a fresh independence referendum in Scotland.

Sturgeon said the strong showing for her party in the UK general election a day earlier underlined the need for Scotland to be given another chance to vote on the issue.

Read more: Opinion: Boris wins, but the UK loses

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's pro-Brexit Conservative Party won a landslide victory on Thursday, clinching a clear majority nationwide. However, it lost seven of its 13 seats in Scotland.

"This is not about asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson or any other Westminster politician for permission," Sturgeon said on Friday after it emerged that her party had won in 48 of the 59 Scottish constituencies.

"It is an assertion of the democratic right of the people of Scotland to determine their own future," she added.

Addressing Johnson directly, she said: "You as the leader of a defeated party in Scotland have no right to stand in the way."

Sturgeon has already secured support from the devolved Scottish Parliament to ask London to trigger powers for a second referendum under Section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998.

Watch video 04:39 Share Scotland's aspirations for independence Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3Tgnc Scotland's aspirations for independence

She has promised to submit the proposal before the end of the year and hold the so-called "indyref2" in 2020. However, Johnson has ruled out approving the request.

Hours after Sturgeon spoke, Johnson's office said there would be no new referendum and that the 2014 vote had to be respected.

"The Prime Minister made clear how he remained opposed to a second independence referendum, standing with the majority of people in Scotland who do not want to return to division and uncertainty," a statement read.

Although a 2014 independence referendum had been deemed a once-in-a-generation event, things have since changed. At the time, a major argument against independence was that it would leave Scotland outside the European Union.

12 things you need to know about Scotland The Unicorn Yes, it's not a real animal. But Scottish culture is rich in myths and legends - so the unicorn seems to be a fitting choice as the country's national animal. It has been used in royal Scottish coats of arms since the 12th century. This specimen can be found on the walls of Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.

12 things you need to know about Scotland Humble capital Edinburgh in the east of Scotland is the capital, but goes about its business quietly. While Glasgow may be the largest city, Scotland's houses of parliament and many national institutions are in Edinburgh.

12 things you need to know about Scotland Fringe Fever Edingburgh is not quiet when the Fringe arrives, the world's largest arts festival. The 25-day event features more than 2,500 shows in 200-plus venues. It's one of the capital's most famous attractions, after Edinburgh castle and the huge hills in the city. More than one million tickets are sold for the event, which brings some of the UK's best comedians and theater actors to town.

12 things you need to know about Scotland Not just Harry Potter There's more to Scottish literature than J.K. Rowling's Hogwarts - Robert Louis Stevenson came up with the Jekyll and Hyde series. But the father of Scottish literature is arguably Robert Burns who some consider the national poet. Scots around the world continue to celebrate the eighteenth century poet's birthday on January 25.

12 things you need to know about Scotland The name's Bond ... Scots are also among some big names on the silver screen - like Sean Connery, who spent nearly two decades as James Bond and somehow survived all of those famous dangerous missions. These days, there's Ewan McGregor from Star Wars, Robbie Coltrane, James McAvoy, Robert Carlyle and Gerard Butler, to name a few.

12 things you need to know about Scotland Murray Mania In 2013, tennis player Andy Murray became the first British man to win the Wimbledon Championships since Fred Perry, 77 years earlier. Of course, when he loses, he's Scottish. But he has been very successful and won two medals for tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Britain's most decorated Olympian is also a fellow Scot, track cyclist Chris Hoy.

12 things you need to know about Scotland The beautiful game Scottish Premiership teams may not be quite as famous as their counterparts south of the border. Still, teams like Celtic and Rangers attract a loyal following. These days, the Scottish national team's fans, the "Tartan Army," are known for wearing kilts and said to consume a lot of alcohol.

12 things you need to know about Scotland Have a drink Scots do consume more alcohol than their neighbors - the figures for 2012 were 19 percent higher in Scotland than in England and Wales. So it's no surprise that life expectancy in some parts of Glasgow is among the lowest in the UK and is even on par with the Gaza Strip.

12 things you need to know about Scotland Smart cookies Despite having some of the poorest areas in the UK, a 2014 study suggests Scotland is the most highly educated nation in Europe. There are 15 universities across the country. Prince William studied at St. Andrews University where he met Kate Middleton, who would later become his wife and the Duchess of Cambridge. The royal couple bears the Scottish title of "Earl & Countess of Strathearn."

12 things you need to know about Scotland Ginger Pride Scotland has the highest proportion of redheads of any country - some say it's because of a lack of sunlight. With around 15 percent of the country's population having "ginger" hair, they've clubbed together to even have their own "Ginger Pride" march in Edinburgh.

12 things you need to know about Scotland The Scottish Pound The British Pound is printed by the Royal Bank of Scotland, and this causes confusion for some Englishmen, because they think the Scottish pound is a separate currency. Some shopkeepers have even been known to turn down British pound notes printed in Scotland. Depending on the result of the upcoming referendum, Scotland may really end up with its own currency.

12 things you need to know about Scotland Hadrian's Wall All of Hadrian's Wall, built during the Roman Empire, is actually south of the border between Scotland and England. Emperor Hadrian decided it was sensible to build a wall to keep the barbaric Scots out of the Empire. Could this be a border dispute in the making?



Britain voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48%, but Scots voted by a large majority (62% to 38%) to remain part of the bloc — and now feel they are being pulled out of the bloc against their will.

England and Scotland passed the Acts of Union in 1707, having already shared the same monarch for more than a century, to become one kingdom with one parliament. A new Scottish parliament was established in 1999, giving Scotland devolved powers over matters such as education, health, agriculture and justice.

rc/msh (dpa, AP, EBU)

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