Scotland can’t hold an independence referendum

Scotland may not hold a referendum on Scottish independence at this time. Britain’s Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the Scottish Parliament cannot hold such a referendum in London without government permission.

The Scottish Parliament has no jurisdiction over constitutional matters, including the union between Scotland and England, the Supreme Court has said. This power belongs to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in London.

The move is a setback for Scotland’s independence movement, which has struggled for decades to break with Britain. In 2014, Scots already went to the polls to vote on independence. In this referendum, 55% voted against secession.

That was the end of the matter for the national government in London: the Scots had indeed received permission for the referendum, but only if a plebiscite was held only once in a generation. This would mean that a possible new referendum would have to wait decades.

But according to Scottish National Party First Minister Sturgeon, the political situation has changed since 2014 to such an extent that a new referendum is warranted. For example, there was Brexit, which was opposed by a large majority of Scots. Scotland therefore had to leave the European Union against its will, says Sturgeon.

She wanted to try again on October 19 next year, but not after the Supreme Court ruled on whether the Scottish Parliament had the power to call a referendum on a matter affecting the whole of the UK.

Sturgeon expressed his disappointment in an initial response. “If the law does not allow Scotland to decide its own future without the consent of London, then it has been shown to be a myth that the UK is based on voluntary cooperation. This argues for the ‘independence.”