Scotland seeks 'legal referendum' on independence, says Nicola Sturgeon

Scottish National Party anunced to hold a referendum on independence if party wins a majority in May’s elections. Nicola Sturgeon on January 23 said she is going to seek authority of Scottish people for a legal referendum. Earlier UK government repeatedly rejected calls for referendum. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had stressed that second referendum would "continue political stagnation Scotland has seen for past decade” at a presser. Scotland to draf legislation for an ‘independence referendum’ to end its historic England coalition. As per SNP Scottish Government plans, Scotland parliament will adopt bill as law if May elections garner a pro-independence majority in 129-member chamber. 

In an interview with BBC presenter on 3 January, Andrew Marr, Boris Johnson opposed second referendum for Scotland, saying that it should be “once in a generation”. Johnson had approved Scotland’s 2014 referendum, which was backed by voters with 55-45 per cent. He refused to approve second referendum saying that two EU referendums in Britain, in 1975 and or in 2016, were issued at a major 41-year gap. second referendum was to be decided in consultation with Westminster parliament but Scotland asserted that its parliament will pass bill preparing for an independence voting despite UK’s objection. This could challenge UK to take legal action against referendum, as an independence vote without Westminster parliament’s authorisation would be illegal. 
 

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Right to choose 'independence'

According to UK press reports, Scotland will convene a virtual SNP National Assembly on Sunday to hold discussions about “alternative routes” to an independence referendum in wake of UK’s reluctance and Johnson’s warnings that such a paper should t be allowed until 2050s. In a speech to a conference of her Scottish National Party — held virtually—First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland had a right to choose independence, "if a majority of us want it". Speaking at a live-streamed address, Sturgeon stressed, “That inalienable right of self-determination cant, and will t, be subject to a Westminster veto,” referring to UK government in London. Meanwhile, Scottish MP Douglas Ross berated SNP government of hasty actions amid COVID-19 pandemic, accusing Scotland of ‘wasting resources and energy’. “Eir we go forward to rebuild our ecomy or we go back to more division with SNP,” he wrote on Twitter. 

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(Im Credit: AP)