Nicola Sturgeon announced plans for a second Scottish independence referendum on 19 October 2023, despite political opponents calling it a “pretend poll”.
his vote’s legality will be determined by the Supreme Court in order to substantiate the argument over the Scottish Government’s right to hold a referendum, she said.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has said his party will not run in the by-elections.
Opposition MPs have urged the Prime Minister to stop “putting the priorities of Scots on his back” with the independence “obsession”.
This follows Ms Sturgeon’s ministerial statement to MSPs where she highlighted plans for an “unquestionably legal” referendum to take place.
If the court rules that the proposals fall outside the legislative power of the Scottish Parliament, the next general election will be “de facto referendum”, she said.
The Scottish Government is demanding a Article 30 order to keep a referendum legal – but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made it clear that it will not be granted.
Ms Sturgeon said a judicial provision would prevent doubts about the legal basis for a referendum.
The Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain, the Scottish Government’s Chief Justice, referred the case to the Supreme Court.
“The process of submitting the necessary paperwork to the British government through lawyers and messengers is underway.
“And I can confirm that the referendum will be submitted to the High Court this afternoon.”
She continued: “If it does appear that there is no legal way for this Parliament to give the people of Scotland the choice of independence in a referendum and if the British Government continues to deny a Article 30 order, “My party will face the British general election on this single question: should Scotland be an independent country?”
But Mr Ross said the Prime Minister’s “selfish obsession” with another “divisive” referendum took precedence over issues such as the cost-of-living crisis and NHS waiting times.
“A potentially illegal referendum next year is the wrong priority for Scotland,” he said.
He added: “We will not play Nicola Sturgeon’s matches. We will not take part in a handicap poll if there is real work to be done.
“Real work on the global cost of living crisis, real work to invest in public services, real work to rebuild our economy.
“These are our priorities and these are also the priorities of people across Scotland.
“But instead of focusing on the right priorities, Nicola Sturgeon encourages this parliament to talk about the SNP’s obsession.
“Under the prime minister’s supervision, it will become a do-nothing parliament.”
In response, Ms Sturgeon said that Mr. Ross may be a “do-nothing-conditioner,” but it is certainly a very do-it-yourself parliament.
Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar said the prime minister’s timing was wrong the launch of the campaign since the Covid-19 pandemic has still caused people to lose their lives.
And people have been told to vote SNP, he said, over the promise to prioritize pandemic recovery.
He said: ‘For households across Scotland, it does not feel like this crisis is over.
“Is it not the case that the Nicola pandemic that said she wants us to move through is gone and the partisan Nicola Sturgeon who wants to divide our country is back and pursuing a referendum that two-thirds of the Scots do not want right. not now. ”
Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, asked Ms Sturgeon why her “fixation with the break-up of the United Kingdom will always trump the needs of the people in the country”.