UK Supreme Court set to hear application on Scottish independence vote in October
Britain’s Supreme Court is set to hear an application on whether to allow a new referendum on Scottish independence without consent from Westminster.
The high court announced on Thursday that it is ready to hear the application in October, after Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon began a new campaign for a second independence referendum despite objections from London.
“A date for the hearing has been provisionally set for 11-12 October, 2022,” the apex court said in a statement.
Scotland’s semi-autonomous government seeks to hold an independence referendum on October 19, 2023, but it first tries to get the legal permission to go ahead.
Scots first voted on independence in 2014 but preferred not to break up their three centuries of old union with England and Wales by 55 percent to 45 percent.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson’s administration said at the time that it would not transfer powers to the devolved administration of Edinburgh for the second time.
However Sturgeon of the Scottish National Party (SNP) has repeatedly called for a second vote as most Scots voted against Britain leaving the EU.
“My determination is to secure a process that allows the people of Scotland, whether yes, no or yet to be decided, to express their views in a legal, constitutional referendum so the majority view can be established fairly and democratically,” she said.
According to Sturgeon, there is now a majority in favor of independence at the Scottish parliament, which gives a democratic mandate for a second vote.
She has also said the so-called “indyref2” will be “consultative” and will only proceed with the UK Supreme Court, but a vote in favor of independence would still need approval from both parliaments in Edinburgh and London.
Analysts say it’s far from certain that the Supreme Court would vote in favor of a second referendum in Scotland.
London and Edinburgh have long been at odds about the Scottish independence from England and Wales. Edinburgh believes that a separate Scotland, which is in favor of rejoining the EU, would better serve its nation.
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