British court rejects Scottish independence bill

The UK’s Supreme Court ruled this Wednesday (23rd) that it cannot legally call for a new referendum on Scotland’s independence from Britain, complicating nationalist Nicola Sturgeon’s plans for an autonomous Enforcement.

Robert Reed, head of the country’s highest statutory body, said the authority to hold such a consultation was “reserved” for the UK Parliament and therefore “the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to pass legislation for an independence referendum”. , reading a unanimous sentence in just six weeks.

Prime Minister Sturgeon said he was “disappointed” with a decision that, according to him, “he did not make the law, but merely interpreted it”.

“A law that does not allow Scotland to choose its own future without Westminster’s consent underlines that any idea of ​​the UK as a voluntary union is a myth and reinforces the need for a referendum on self-determination,” he denounced on Twitter.

“Should Scotland be an independent country?” It wants to hold a consultative vote on the question.

In fact, the date has already been set: October 19, 2023.

But he says he wants a “legal referendum” to prevent a conflict similar to the one that took place in Spain in 2017 because of the consultation held in Catalonia, despite the Spanish justice ban.

The Central Executive in London categorically rejects it, arguing that Scotland has already held a self-determination referendum in 2014 and therefore the SNP is trying to use its own legal framework approved by the Scottish district council.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, the legal representative of the Scottish Executive Council, which envisages a fierce legal battle, asked the High Court six weeks ago to rule on the legality of this project.

England spoke on Wednesday, asking the Scottish regional manager to focus on “the issues that matter most to the people of Scotland”.

“We note and respect the unanimous decision of the High Court today,” said Alister Jack, the UK’s Minister for Scotland. “The Scots want their government (in Edinburgh and London) to focus on … what matters most,” he added.

return to the European Union

In the 2014 referendum, with the approval of the British Conservative government, David Cameron, 55% of Scots voted to remain in the UK.

The main argument against secession was that it would leave Scotland out of the European Union.

But paradoxically, two years later, the Brexit referendum, in which 62% of Scots voted against, resulted in the region withdrawing from the bloc precisely because the UK remained.

Sturgeon and his party argue that this has completely changed the situation, and considers that they have the “unquestionable authority” to hold a new consultation, thanks to a majority in the regional parliament, the first in the history of pro-independence lawmakers.

The SNP won the 2021 legislative election, promising to hold a new legal consultation as soon as the covid-19 pandemic is overcome.

Polls show that Scots are almost evenly split for and against leaving the UK, particularly in their desire to return to the EU.

In October, the Scottish government argued that “the right to self-determination is a fundamental and inalienable right”, using international legislation as a shield that according to the English Supreme Court did not apply to this case.

The lawyers of the British Executive Board, on the other hand, argued before the judges that Scotland could not act unilaterally on an issue that concerns the whole country, as in the independence project of Catalonia in Spain. And the Almighty ruled them right.

Although Scottish nationalists have promised to hold a purely consultative vote, if London is won by a large majority, it will come under great pressure to allow independence.

The SNP has already announced that it plans to turn the next parliamentary elections, scheduled for 2024 or 2025, into a de facto plebiscite campaigning solely on the issue, should Justice disagree with them.