Can Scotland hold another independence referendum without London’s consent? The UK Supreme Court will rule on this important issue for the future of the UK on Wednesday 23 November.
Independence Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already revealed this issue. “Should Scotland be an independent country?”, and even the date, October 19, 2023, when it intends to organize this new consultation. In 2014, 55% of Scots refused to leave Great Britain. But in the eyes of the SNP separatists in power in Edinburgh, Brexit, which 62% of voters in the state opposed because it intervened, is a game-changer. They want Scotland to rejoin the European Union as an independent state.
But the government in central London strongly opposes further independence referendums and sees the 2014 vote as closing the debate for a generation. Anticipating a legal dispute with the government in London, Nicola Sturgeon took the case to the High Court to determine whether the Scottish Parliament had the power to legislate on the matter without the consent of the British government, a matter which. Scots are particularly divided by the polls. The separatist leader believes that he has an “undisputed mandate” to organize such elections, particularly because the SNP has a majority in the local parliament.
“Fundamental and inalienable right”
At a hearing in the Supreme Court last month, lawyers representing the London government argued that the Scottish government could not decide on its own whether to hold a referendum. Edinburgh must seek permission as this is a matter reserved to central government. Scotland’s top judge, Dorothy Bain, argued otherwise “The right to self-determination is a fundamental and inalienable right.”.
In a recent blog post, Stephen Tierney, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Edinburgh, opined that “more likely” is that Britain’s highest court rules that the new vote is beyond the powers of local authorities. In such a scenario, Nicola Sturgeon has already warned that the next general election in Great Britain, which should be held by January 2025, will hold a de facto referendum on independence. During the local government elections of 2021, he promised to organize a legally valid referendum when the page of the Covid-19 epidemic is turned.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.