Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has promised that the Scottish government will publish a bill for a second independence referendum next week.

Speaking at the SNP conference in Glasgow, Sturgeon said, “I am determined that Scotland will have the ability to reconsider the question of independence and to do so before the UK leaves the EU if that is necessary to protect our country’s interests.”

In 2014, Scotland voted against independence from the rest of the UK, with the ’No’ camp securing 55% of the vote, but since the referendum on EU membership in June this year, when Scotland voted to remain by 62% to 38% (compared to 52% Leave to 48% Remain across the UK as a whole), the country’s leaders have repeatedly expressed the desire for Scotland to maintain close ties with the EU. One of the key sticking points ahead of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum was uncertainty surrounding an independent Scotland’s reapplication for membership of the EU, and the time such an unprecedented application would take.

In Glasgow, Nicola Sturgeon said a second referendum is in the best interest of Scots, and that seeking the best deal for the people of Scotland had been her single guiding principle since she learned of the results of the EU referendum.

In August, ahead of a meeting with food and farming groups, Scotland’s Rural Affairs Secretary Fergus Ewing said the Scottish government would be “Exploring all options” to work out the best deal for its citizens in the wake of the Brexit vote.

Ahead of the talks in late August, Ewing elaborated, “The UK Government has not done nearly enough to provide the clarity and certainty the farming sector needs. The EU provides significant benefits to Scotland’s rural communities. It provides a critical support mechanism for the agricultural industry, while also offering access to a single market of over 500 million people for the food we produce. The EU also provides social protections for everyone who works in the agricultural industry and freedom of movement that enables farm businesses to employ the workers they need from anywhere in the EU.”

Ahead of the SNP Conference this week, Scotland’s Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said, “Scotland has delivered a strong, unequivocal vote to remain in the EU and the Scottish Government welcomes that outcome. The UK vote means that Scotland risks being taken out of Europe against its will and that is democratically unacceptable. Our priority is to protect all of Scotland’s interests.

“The Scottish Government strongly values the contribution that EU citizens make in Scotland, just as we hope Scottish citizens in Europe are equally valued, and we will continue to press the UK Government for the protection of their right to live and work here.”

The new independence referendum bill is set for publication for consultation next week.