UK Supreme Court rules against Scottish independence referendum: What does it mean for the movement 'indyref2'?

In a major blow to the Scottish government's effort to split from the United Kingdom, the UK Supreme Court has declared that Scotland does not have the authority to organize a second referendum on independence without the British government's approval.
Since then, many people are discussing how this decision could affect the whole pro-independence campaign and Scotland’s ongoing constitutional debate. So, let’s find out everything about it:

How did this campaign start?

With the SNP and Scottish Greens securing a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon plans to call a referendum on October 19, 2023.

She wants the UK government to reach an agreement like the one made before the 2014 vote in order to guarantee that the outcome will be valid and acknowledged globally.


However, after many prime ministers declined to do so, the Scottish administration requested the Supreme Court decide whether Holyrood could organize a referendum on its own.

After hearing arguments for two days in October, a Scottish judge and Court President, Lord Reed, announced the judgment.

What arguments were made during the hearing?

The main issue seems to be whether the Scottish government's proposed independence referendum bill would "relate to" a subject allocated for Westminster, where only MPs are authorized to make legislation.

According to the Scottish government, a referendum would only be "advisory," asking Scotland's citizens for their opinions, and the vote would have "no legal repercussions."

However, according to the UK government, it is "perfectly obvious" that Westminster alone has the authority to decide the future of the union and that Holyrood lacks the authority to conduct a referendum on it.

According to its attorney, a referendum bill would be "self-evidently, squarely, and directly about the Union," and it was evident the Scottish government's purpose was "not just to have an opinion poll."

As it would be premature to take a stance on a draft law, the UK government has claimed that the courts should dismiss the case without passing judgment.

What occurred at court?

The justices came to a unanimous decision that the Scottish government lacks the authority to organize an independence referendum without the approval of the UK government.

How will it affect the future politics of the UK?

While this outcome did not satisfy the Scottish government, UK officials appeared to be comfortable with it.
But Scottish officials also thought that this lawsuit would advance the independence issue regardless of the outcome because it has been stuck for years.

However, given that the independence debate still dominates Scottish politics, there are important considerations for UK officials about how precisely the matter will ever be settled.

FAQs:

1. What is the outcome of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum?
   With 55.3% of voters rejecting independence and 44.7% voting in favor, the Scottish Independence Referendum was rejected in 2014.
2. When will the next referendum happen?
   While it was initially proposed that the next referendum would happen in 2023, now it is uncertain as the UK Supreme Court recently declared that Scotland doesn’t have the authority to do it.