Scottish parliament cannot hold new independence referendum – UK Court
The United Kingdom’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Scottish parliament cannot hold a second independence referendum without approval from the British parliament.
The Scottish government’s most senior law officer had asked the UK Supreme Court whether the Scottish government could pass legislation paving the way for an advisory second referendum without the approval of the UK parliament.
“The Scottish parliament does not have the power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence,” said Robert Reed, the president of the UK Supreme Court.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), said on Twitter after the ruling;
“A law that doesn’t allow Scotland to choose our own future without Westminster consent exposes as myth any notion of the UK as a voluntary partnership and makes case for Indy (independence).”
“Today’s ruling blocks one route to Scotland’s voice being heard on independence – but in a democracy, our voice cannot and will not be silenced,” she wrote.
Also Read: Scottish independence: Sturgeon announces 2023 for referendum
Sturgeon had already promised that defeat in the Supreme Court would mean her party would fight the next UK-wide election, due to be held in 2024, solely on a platform of whether Scotland should be independent, making it a “de facto” referendum.
Sturgeon announced earlier this year that she intended to hold an advisory independence vote on October 19, 2023, but that it had to be lawful and internationally recognized.
However, the British government said it would not grant permission for another plebiscite, saying it should be a once-in-a-generation event.
In 2014, Scots rejected ending the more-than 300-year-old union with England by 55% to 45%,.
Independence campaigners have argued the vote two years later for Britain to leave the European Union, which the majority of Scottish voters opposed, has materially changed the circumstances.
Zainab Sa’id
