British justice says “no” to a new independence referendum in Scotland: Edinburgh’s response

Scottish separatists received some of the worst news from their kingdom’s High Court on Wednesday morning. Scottish parliament it has no power hold a second independence referendum in the country and separate from the UK.

The unanimous ruling of the UK’s top justices held that, despite the SNP’s requests, the Scottish Nationalist partyof a new vote, the Scottish government would need the approval of the Downing St government, i.e. the British prime minister, before proceeding.

Five judges, who have spent the last month reviewing 8,000 pages of legal topicsThey delivered their sentence at 10 in the morning.

The High Court ruling that the Scottish Government cannot hold a unilateral referendum on independence has ended Sturgeon’s hopes of holding another constitutional election next October.

The court unanimously decided that such a move would undermine the integrity of the Unionreserved for the Government of Westminster.

Lord Reed, the presiding judge, said: “The Scottish Parliament has no power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence.”

In announcing the ruling, Lord Reed said legislation pending a second vote would concern “closed business” and therefore fall outside the powers of Holyrood, the Scottish parliament.

“A lawfully conducted referendum would have major political consequences in relation to the Union and the British Parliament,” he said, “strengthening or weakening the democratic legitimacy of the Union and the sovereignty of the British Parliament over Scotland,” he explained.

Scottish first minister and SNP independence activist Nicola Sturgeon had proposed a second referendum, which was called indyref2by 19 October 2023, to separate from the UK e join the European Union.

The general election will be a referendum

But Sturgeon also warned him would use the next election general like “An informal and de facto referendum” if the court ruled against your plan.

From Edinburgh, in the hours following the sentence, Prime Minister Sturgeon said he accepted the sentence and that the problem was not the interpretation of the judges, but the law itself.

“Until now, opponents of independence, as well as its supporters, have understood that the United Kingdom is a voluntary association of nations,” he said.

“Let’s be honest. A so-called partnership where one partner is denied the right to choose a different future, or even ask questions, can in no way be called a voluntary or even a partnership,” the prime minister continued. .

“So this judgment confirms that the idea of ​​the United Kingdom, a voluntary association of nations, if it were ever a reality, it is no longer a reality. It exposes a situation that is simply untenable,” explained the Scottish first minister.

Sturgeon said so the “still open” option that the UK government “accept democracy and come to an agreement” on how to hold a second referendum.

But if not, he promised “not to give up democracy” and use the next general election to ask the question, with a special party conference in the new year to agree on the details.

“It’s no longer just a question of whether or not Scotland becomes independent, vital though that decision is,” said Sturgeon. “It’s more fundamental. Now it comes whether or not we have the basic democratic right choose our future. In fact, as of today, the independence movement is both democracy and independence,” she said.

the independentists

The next UK general election north of the border will be a ‘de facto’ referendum on Scottish independence, Nicola Sturgeon said after a High Court ruling.

The Scottish National Party does not abandon the road to independence. “Westminster is blocking it”the first minister said, noting that the Scottish government will look into it A new way hold a referendum.

“In my opinion, this can only be a choice,” he said. “The next scheduled national election for Scotland is, of course, the UK general election. realization of that the first and most obvious opportunity to look for what I described as De facto referendumHe explained.

What do you think Rishi Sunak?

The first Rishi Sunak welcomed the ruling “clear and final”, stating that the Scottish Parliament has no power to legislate for another independence referendum.

The prime minister told the House of Commons after the court ruling that politicians from Westminster and Holyrood they needed to “work together”.

He was “pleased” that the Scottish Parliament was “one of the most powerful devolved assemblies” in the world, and that it was “continuing to work constructively and collaboratively” with Nicola Sturgeon. A different tone from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which he was completely pitted against Sturgeon.

Sunak rehearsed emolliently in response to a series of angry questions from Scottish National Party MPs, during the Prime Minister’s debriefing.

Rishi Sunak said he wanted to work “constructively” with Prime Minister Sturgeon. But her MPs have said she doesn’t have a mandate because it was not voted by anyoneexcept for his party.

furious independentists

Ian Blackford, leader of the SNP in Westminster, asked: ‘What right has a man without a mandate to deny Scottish democracy?’

“The Prime Minister cannot claim to respect the rule of law and then deny democracy at the same time. If democracy matters, if elections matter, then mandates matter. Since 2014 the PNS won eight elections in a row. We won by a landslide last year. The Scottish Parliament now has the largest majority for a referendum on independence from devolution,” said the Scottish Nationalist MP.

Theresa May’s request

Theresa May, the former prime minister, made a rare intervention in the parliamentary question to urge the SNP to leave his “obsession” with independence.

To raucous applause from her fellow Conservatives, May said: “Scotland is a proud nationwith a unique heritage. It is a valuable member of our family of nations. A union of people united through generation by our common interests.

May said the High Court verdict gave the SNP “a chance for once to put the Scottish people first and end their obsession with tearing us apart”.

In the House of Commons, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said the government welcomed the ruling. He called on the Scottish executive to “set aside these divisive constitutional issues so that we can work together, focusing our full attention and resources on the key issues” that matter to the Scottish people.

“When we work together as one UK, we are safer, stronger and more prosperous,” he added.

A referendum they lost

Scotland held an independence referendum in 2014 and just over 55% voted to remain part of the UK.

But the independence party SNP, which has led the country since 2007, believes it has the mandate to call a new vote. due to his continued success in elections – most Scottish MPs support independence – and thanks to to the changed circumstances after Brexit.

Sturgeon began his attempts to get a new referendum passed in 2017 by asking then First Minister Theresa May for a Section 30 order, which is used to permanently or temporarily increase or limit the legislative authority of the Scottish Parliament . It was used to temporarily legislate for the first referendum.

But May and the British prime ministers who followed her denied it. This led to Wednesday’s court case over whether the Scottish Parliament would pass a bill to hold a referendum, without the green light from Westminster.

The role of the Supreme Court is to examine the issue only from a legal perspective. The importance of this ruling cannot be underestimated because nearly all day-to-day affairs in Scotland are viewed through the prism of the Constitution.

Almost all polls suggest it the Scots are divided halfway on the future of the country. It is unclear whether this trial will help resolve the independence ambition.

Paris, correspondent

ap​