Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon warned Thursday she was prepared to spearhead a second Scottish independence referendum before the United Kingdom completes its divorce from the European Union. 
Ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee docked on Scotland’s west coast Friday morning for a routine port visit intended to demonstrate the U.S. military’s ongoing commitment to the United Kingdom. 
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday the United Kingdom could be moving toward a “hard Brexit” from the European Union with negotiations beginning in late March. 
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday that he was immediately resigning as a member of Parliament, triggering a by-election in his Whitney constituency. David Cameron announced Monday that he would formally resign as the United Kingdom’s prime minister later this week, paving the way for Home Secretary Theresa May to replace him as the Conservative Party’s next leader after her lone challenger exited the race earlier in the day. 
Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that the United Kingdom’s Brexit decision could be reversed. 
The United Kingdom has voted decisively to leave the European Union, forcing the resignation of the prime minister and sending a shockwave through global markets. 
The Conservative Party’s victory in the recent British general election spoke to a desire for smaller government on the part of voters, according to experts on both sides of the Atlantic speaking at a panel discussion at the Heritage Foundation Thursday. 