Scottish Parliament approves independence referendum

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)-International Service: The Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of holding another referendum on the region’s independence from the UK.

 

The Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of holding another referendum on the region’s independence, according to the Austrian newspaper Standard.

 

Members of Parliament in Edinburgh on Tuesday voted in favour of a plan to transfer the power to hold such a referendum to the British government by 72 votes to 55. However, there is no indication so far that London will give the green light for the vote.

 

The proposal was made by John Sweeney, the First Minister of Scotland and leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).

 

Sweeney said: “By order of Parliament, I will now begin talks with the UK government. Talks on this with the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are scheduled for the next two weeks.”

 

A spokesman for Starmer said: “The UK government does not support either independence or another referendum. Previously, in the first independence referendum in 2014, political parties, civil society and the Scottish and English parliaments agreed that there should be a public vote. The statement continued: “Today, there is no such consensus.
 

In the 2014 referendum, 55% of voters opposed Scottish independence from the UK. London considered the issue resolved for a generation.
 

However, the 2016 referendum, in which the British voted to leave the European Union, reignited the debate over Scottish independence. On the other hand, the Scots voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union.

 

In 2022, the UK Supreme Court ruled that a new independence referendum could only be held with the consent of the UK government. The central government in England retains its powers, including in matters of defence and foreign policy, while Scotland has its own competences in areas such as health, education, law, transport and the environment.