Nicola Sturgeon has been criticized for plans announced Tuesday for a second Scottish independence referendum in October next year. The Scottish Prime Minister has vowed to take legal action to ensure an IndyRef2 takes place, even if the British Parliament in Westminster tries to block it. BBC presenter Jon Kay urged the SNP leader on the legality of this latest push for the independence vote.
Kay told the Scottish Prime Minister: “I have asked the Supreme Court, the British Supreme Court, whether it is legal to call a referendum without the support of the British government at Westminster, and much of the legal commentary on this in the past 24 hours suggest they think you probably won’t win.
“This is a big gamble for you personally and politically, isn’t it?
“Well, look, I think Scotland will be better served by being independent and I think this is in line with the mandate that exists in the Scottish Parliament where a majority of the MSP supports a referendum that the people should vote for” , replied Mrs. Sturgeon. †
It is not about me personally, or my career, and it is about trying to do the right thing for Scotland, and in High Court terms it is the Lord Advocate here who has decided to refer this case to the High Court at my request because The Scottish Parliament’s ability to legislate without a transfer of power by the British Government is being challenged.”
Voters in Scotland, which has about 5.5 million inhabitants, rejected independence in 2014. But Scotland’s semi-autonomous government says Britain’s departure from the European Union, which a majority of Scots opposed, means that the question should be posed in a second place. to vote.
Pro-independence parties won a majority in the election last year and Ms Sturgeon, under pressure from some in her own party, had pledged to vote by the end of 2023. Polls suggest a vote would be too close.
Johnson and his ruling Conservative party, which sits in opposition in Scotland, strongly oppose a referendum, saying the issue was resolved in 2014 when Scots voted 55 to 45 percent against independence. Opinion polls in 2022 vary, some showing a similar split and others showing the gap narrowing.
The prime minister has previously refused to issue a “Section 30” order, which gives the Scottish Parliament the power to hold a referendum, saying earlier on Tuesday that Britain’s top priority was the economic pressure it faces. country had to do.
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