Nicola Sturgeon has insisted that “it is now time for independence” when she unveiled plans to hold a second referendum on Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2023.
The Scottish Prime Minister outlined plans to hold a consultative vote on that date, and her government published a bill to allow for a second referendum.
She also revealed to MSPs in Holyrood that Scotland’s top law officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, will refer the Scottish Independence Referendum Act to the UK Supreme Court to see if such a vote would be legal.
However, Boris Johnson has insisted that the focus should be on the economy, arguing that the UK would have a “stronger economy and a stronger country” together.
Now it’s time for independence
A spokesman for Number 10 made it clear that the prime minister continues to believe that it is “not the time to talk about” a second referendum on Scottish independence.
The spokesperson said: “Our position remains unchanged that both ours and the Scottish Governments should be a priority to work together with a relentless focus on the issues we know matter to people across the country.”
Meanwhile, Johnson said that while he would study the Scottish Prime Minister’s plans, “the country’s focus should be on building a stronger economy”.
“I haven’t seen exactly what she said yet,” he told reporters as he traveled to Madrid for the NATO summit.
“We will study it very carefully and we will respond appropriately.
“The focus of the country should be on building a stronger economy, that’s what we’re doing with our plan for a stronger economy and I definitely think we can have a stronger economy and a stronger country together.”
Ms Sturgeon argued that it was time for the Scots to “debate and decide the future of our country”.
In a statement to Holyrood she said: “Now is the time to set Scotland on the right path, the path chosen by those who live here.
“Now is the time for independence.”
She said that although she had a “clear democratic mandate” for another referendum, the British government “unfortunately refused to respect Scottish democracy”.
Opposition MSPs in Holyrood accused Ms Sturgeon of “putting the Scots’ priorities on the back burner” to focus instead on her “obsession” for independence.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross was also clear that his party will not participate in an illegal referendum.
However, Sturgeon said her plans provided for an “unquestionably legal” referendum.
In the event that the court rules that the proposals fall outside the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, the next general election will be a “de facto referendum” on independence, she said.
She continued: “If it turns out there is no lawful way for this Parliament to give the people of Scotland the choice of independence in a referendum, and if the UK government continues to deny a Section 30 order, my party will stand against the UK to stand. general election on this one question: should Scotland be an independent country?”
But Mr Ross said the Prime Minister’s “selfish obsession” with a new “divisive” referendum takes precedence over issues such as the cost of living crisis and NHS waiting times.
“A possible illegal referendum next year is the wrong priority for Scotland,” he said.
He added: “We will not be playing Nicola Sturgeon’s games. We do not participate in a mock investigation 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.
“Those are our priorities and those are the priorities of people across Scotland.
Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar said the Prime Minister’s timing was wrong when launching the campaign while the Covid-19 pandemic was still killing people.
He said: “For households across Scotland, it doesn’t feel like this crisis is over.
“Isn’t it the case that the pandemic Nicola who said she wanted us to get through it is gone, and the partisan Nicola Sturgeon who wants to divide our country is back and pursuing a referendum that two-thirds of Scots don’t want? ? straight away.”
The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Alex Cole-Hamilton, asked Ms Sturgeon why her “fixation on the breakup of the UK will always exceed the needs of the people in the country”.
On Tuesday evening, the Supreme Court confirmed it had received a “referral” from the Lord Advocate under his jurisdiction for devolution.
In the first phase, it will be considered by the President of the Supreme Court, Lord Reed of Allermuir.
He will decide whether preliminary cases need to be heard, when the case will be heard, how many judges will consider the referral and which judges will sit on the bench.