Scottish independence has remained a significant subject at the centre of political debate in Scotland. A record victory in the Scottish council election has abetted the SNP to resume talks about holding another independence referendum.
Pro-Independence Parties Won the Council Elections
The pro-independence Scots marched in Glasgow last Saturday to renew calls for another independence referendum. People have held Scottish flags and marched around Glasgow while chanting anti-Conservative slogans. It came after the Scottish Independence Party (SNP) gained control of more councils around the country. The SNP won the last week’s Scotland council election, and the Scottish Conservative Party has fallen back. Generally, the pro-independence parties have gained better results in the recent council election than in the previous ones. The ruling SNP was dominant again and won 34 percent of the total votes. The Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she would renew the case for a second independence referendum. She has added that the UK does not currently serve the needs of the Scots and the other three nations.
The SNP Plans a Referendum for 2023
Nicola Sturgeon has held high-level meetings all last months, discussing the timing of a second independence referendum. She has recently said the SNP is ready for another independence referendum in 2023. The SNP had vowed in its manifesto in 2021 that it would work on the independence matter. During the last Holyrood election, Sturgeon said that the intention of this parliament was another referendum. The first minister had previously said they could hold an independence referendum after recovery from the pandemic. The SNP has removed all pandemic restrictions and sees no other limitation to launch a fresh push for independence. However, Westminster has already denied permission for a second independence referendum and can disagree with it. Yet, the Scottish government has its Plan B to legislate for a referendum without Westminster’s permission.
UK May Block Another Independent Vote
If Holyrood passes independent legislation without Westminster agreement, the UK government can take it to the UK Supreme Court. The matter is whether the case would relate to matters reserved to Westminster, including the Union of Scotland and England. The 1998 Scotland Act has devolved some powers from Westminster to the Scottish parliament. The Act reserves all matters relating to the Union of the Kingdom of Scotland and England to the UK parliament. In the 2014 independence referendum, Westminster granted the Scottish government the authority to hold a referendum. The UK PM in 2020 has told the SNP leader that the 2014 referendum was once in a generation. He has ruled out any other independence referendum. Nicola Sturgeon had said that Scotland’s future must be in Scotland’s hands. She has told people who live in Scotland should shape their country, not those at Westminster.
SNP Leader Received Legal Advice on Indyref2
Nicola Sturgeon has argued that Westminster did not have the right to block democracy in Scotland. During the past year, she has received legal advice on how to hold a second independence referendum. Sturgeon has not made the information public yet, but the opposition has asked for clearness. She believes that publishing legal advice would be breaching the ministerial code. She has been asked to post the legal advice she has received on an independence referendum. Some critics have said the public has the right to know the legal process for holding an independence referendum. Nicola Sturgeon has said her government has put much value on getting legal advice. She is hopeful that Scots would vote in favour of independence this time if there is another referendum.
Most of the Scots Voted for the Nationalists Parties
The SNP and the Scottish Greens have campaigned for a second independence referendum during the 2021 election. Both parties have won 72 out of 129 seats at the Scottish parliament, Holyrood. The majority of Scots have expressed their will by voting for these pro-independence parties in 2021 and 2022. After the council election, All Under One Banner organized a pro-independence rally. Hundreds of people gathered in Glasgow and participated in the independence march. People in the rally expressed their defiance of Westminster’s rule over Scotland. The rally has demanded action in Holyrood for independence and aimed to empower the extra-parliamentary movement. After the council election, the Scottish First Minister travelled to the US and met some top officials. Sturgeon has visited the US to encourage the US government to invest and cooperate with future independent Scotland.
Sturgeon Is Determined to Hold Indyref2
Nicola Sturgeon is so determined to follow the SNP’s independence ambitions. She has even mentioned that the Russia-Ukraine crisis will not affect the timing of the Scottish independence referendum. The party has pursued the intention throughout the last years, despite a failure in the 2014 independence referendum. Back then, voters rejected independence by 55 percent to 45 percent, but Brexit has restored independence discussion. Westminster ignored Scotland’s overwhelming vote to remain in the EU throughout the Brexit process. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 62 percent of Scots voted to stay, but they had to leave the EU against their will. The British government’s handling of the post-Brexit problems and the coronavirus pandemic is not neglectful. That has raised nationalism among the people of Scotland.
Conclusion
Scotland’s council election is not usually international news, but it has become an essential story in the past few days. The Scottish National Party gained a victory ahead of the other parties, empowering it to follow its independence plans. The pro-independence people have rallied on the streets to ask Holyrood for action. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has determinedly announced her government’s will to start the very positive case for Scottish independence. The SNP is now planning for the second Scottish independence referendum before 2023. the SNP leader believes that freedom will enhance Scotland’s global contribution better than devolution. Despite Westminster’s disagreement with another independence referendum and internal opposition, the public support empowers Scottish pro-independence nationalists.
