Scottish leader seeks ‘legal referendum’

If SNP wins May polls, Sturgeon says she will seek another vote despite Johnson’s opposition

January 24, 2021 10:14 pm | Updated 10:28 pm IST - London

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks during the debate at the Scottish Parliament on the trade and co-operation agreement between the UK and the EU (European Union) on December 30, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell / POOL / AFP)

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks during the debate at the Scottish Parliament on the trade and co-operation agreement between the UK and the EU (European Union) on December 30, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell / POOL / AFP)

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Sunday said she planned to hold a legal referendum on independence from Britain despite Westminster’s opposition, as an opinion poll showed a majority would vote yes.

If her Scottish National Party (SNP) wins a strong showing in regional elections in May, Ms. Sturgeon said she would seek a fresh referendum even though Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said such a vote should only be held once in a generation.

“I want to have a legal referendum, that is what I am going to seek the authority of the Scottish people for in May and if they give me that authority, that’s what I intend to do,” she told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show .

Mr. Johnson “will flatly refuse the demand,” The Sunday Times quoted senior government sources as saying.

Ms. Sturgeon cited the fact that “the polls now show that a majority of people in Scotland want independence”.

A Sunday Times poll found 50% of Scottish voters wanted another referendum in the next five years and 49% would vote for independence, while 44% would reject it.

A 2014 referendum saw 55% vote “no.”

Victory projected

The Sunday Times quoted a forecast that the SNP will win a “landslide” in May polls for the Scottish parliament, giving Sturgeon a strong basis to call for the vote.

She spoke as the Scottish National Party (SNP) was due to discuss its “roadmap to a referendum” at a policy forum on Sunday.

The SNP says it will request a Section 30 order from the British government allowing the holding of another referendum. If this is refused it intends to push through its own legislation to prepare for a referendum and “vigorously” oppose a legal challenge from London.

“Scotland could hold a preliminary referendum, calling for negotiations on independence,” Alan Trench of University College’s constitutional unit said.

The newspaper poll found 50% of Scottish voters wanted another independence referendum in the next five years, despite the fact only 22% thought an independent country would be better off economically.

“Brexit and the coronavirus crisis... appear to be driving Scottish voters away from England,” the newspaper wrote.

22% thought Johnson had done a good job in tackling the pandemic, versus 61% for Ms. Sturgeon.

The poll also found 53% in Scotland would vote to rejoin the EU.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.