"During the elections, we said that ... when the COVID crisis has passed, we would give the people of Scotland the choice of independence. And we will," Sturgeon said during her closing speech at the Scottish National Party (SNP) national conference, as broadcast by Sky News.
Late last year, Sturgeon said that she would seek a second independence referendum to be held on the early part of the next Scottish Parliament's term in 2021, despite the UK central government’s opposition to granting permission for another vote.
In early May, the ruling SNP party led by Sturgeon won a majority of seats in the parliamentary vote. Back then, Sturgeon warned London over a second vote on independence, saying that any attempt to block it would be "picking a fight with the democratic wishes of the Scottish people."