Supreme Court rules out Scotland’s call for new independence referendum
A 35-page ruling delivered by the Supreme Court on Wednesday blocked the Scottish government from holding a new independence referendum next year.
The outcome of the proposed independence referendum would not have been definitive or self-executing, since it would not have immediate effect without further legislation.
However, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Scotland does not have the right to hold a referendum based on the interpretation of a technicality in Scotland Act, which states that the Scottish parliament cannot legislate on anything “relating to reserved matters”, which includes the union. While the Scottish government argued that The Scottish government however argued that because of this, any referendum would not be binding and therefore the referendum in and of itself does not “relate to” the union.
Opinions on Scottish independence both within the country and throughout the rest of the UK have changed vastly in the years following Brexit (where all 32 councils voted remain with a total of 62% for remain, 38% leave) and the ongoing uncertainties surrounding Westminster politics. The Scottish government has long pushed for the right to hold another referendum in light of changing circumstances, and the fact that Scottish interests vastly differ from and are limited by Westminster’s hold.
In response to the ruling, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said,
“Let’s be blunt – a so-called partnership in which one partner is denied the right to choose a different future, or even to ask itself the question, cannot be described in any way as voluntary or even a partnership at all.
So this ruling confirms that the notion of the UK as a voluntary partnership of nations is no longer, if it ever was, a reality.
And that exposes a situation that is quite simply unsustainable.”
The vote reignited predictable pro-union sentiment from the right, but after years of undeniable economic and political disarray, many pro-Westminster publications seem to have softened towards the idea of Scotland’s independence.
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- This is a gross exaggeration of a statement made by Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton.
- The Liberal Democrats are the leading SNP’s rival political party in the Scottish Parliament who are staunchly against independence.
- The reference to Trump was taken from a quote from Cole-Hamilton in response to the vote, “This “Scotland’s democracy movement” title is straight out of the Trump playbook and can get in the bin. I was elected to oppose a referendum with more votes than any other candidate in the history of the Scottish Parliament. It’s my democratic duty to continue to oppose it.”
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