Explainer-Can Scotland hold another independence referendum?

Election staff members count votes for the Scottish Parliamentary election at a counting centre in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, May 8, 2021. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish nationalists are set to push for a second independence referendum with pro-independence parties holding a majority in the Scottish parliament, although British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he would block any such vote.

In a referendum in 2014, Scots voted 55%-45% to remain in the United Kingdom, but both Brexit and the British government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis have bolstered support for independence among Scots, and demands for a second vote.