Nicola Sturgeon’s plan for ‘illegal’ Scottish independence referendum
Critics slam SNP’s ‘deluded’ pledge to hold new vote without consent of Westminster
Nicolas Sturgeon is gearing up to take on the might of Westminster after unveiling plans to hold an advisory referendum on Scottish independence if her party wins a majority in May’s Holyrood elections.
In a warning shot to Boris Johnson, Sturgeon told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show that the Scottish National Party (SNP) would immediately organise an advisory vote to “seek the authority of the Scottish people” to hold a “legal referendum”.
The vote plan was set out in an 11-point roadmap presented at an internal SNP online assembly yesterday - and will go ahead “regardless of whether Westminster consents to the move”, The Guardian reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The SNP will first request from the UK government a section 30 order, which under the Scotland Act 1998 allows Holyrood to pass laws normally reserved to Westminster.
But if this request is rejected, the Scottish government will pass a bill allowing a “legal referendum” to take place, and will “vigorously oppose” any legal challenge from Westminster, the roadmap document warns.
The strategy was unveiled yesterday by Scottish government's Constitution Secretary Mike Russell, who said: “I firmly believe that Scotland's referendum must be beyond legal challenge to ensure legitimacy and acceptance at home and abroad.”
However, a constitutional expert told The Telegraph that the SNP’s plan was “deluded” and “pointless”.
Vernon Bogdanor, a former professor of government at Oxford University, argues that “holding such a referendum without Westminster's authority would be ultra vires” - Latin for “beyond the powers” - “because matters connected with the union are reserved”.
“If the UK government didn’t devolve the power, it would be beyond the legal competence of the Scottish Parliament to hold one, and the government could be sued for spending money ultra vires,” he said.
The plan has also met with resistance from Scottish Tories.
Douglas Ross, the Conservative Party leader in Scotland, told the Daily Mail that unionists could boycott the vote. “Most Scots will wonder why time, energy and resources are going into pursuing an illegal referendum when we are facing far bigger challenges,” he added.
The results of a new poll for The Sunday Times of more than 1,200 adults in Scotland found that 50% back holding a second referendum on independence within five years, while 43% said that there should not be a second vote.
Just under half (49%) of the respondents said they would back independence if a second vote were held, with 44% in favour of remaining in the union, and 7% undecided.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
Who actually needs life insurance?
The Explainer If you have kids or are worried about passing on debt, the added security may be worth it
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Sexual wellness trends to know, from products and therapies to retreats and hotels
The Week Recommends Talking about pleasure and sexual health is becoming less taboo
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Is the AI bubble deflating?
Today's Big Question Growing skepticism and high costs prompt reconsideration
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
How the biggest election year in history might play out
The Explainer Votes in world's biggest democracies, as well as its most 'despotic' and 'stressed' countries, face threats of violence and suppression
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published