- The wording
- BBC World News
On Saturday, the Scottish National Party won 64 seats in the Scottish Parliament and declared its victory in the country’s elections last Thursday.
Although she did not gain an absolute majority, the party’s leader, Nicola Sturgeon, maintained her position as prime minister and increased the number of parliamentary representatives for her party.
Besides, other parties promoting the independence of Scotland from the United Kingdom also received many votes.
And for Sturgeon, that outcome leaves a clear mandate: the call for a second referendum on independence (the first referendum was already held in 2014, when the proposal to continue to be part of the bloc of countries representing the United Kingdom triumphed).
“Looking at the outcome of these elections, there is simply no democratic justification for that Boris Johnson (British Prime Minister) or anyone else who seeks to obstruct the right of the people of Scotland to choose our future. “
But he made it clear that the priority now is to manage the Coronavirus pandemic that has left more than 120,000 dead in the United Kingdom.
Now, is it really a mandate or a skewed reading of the results of this election? The BBC’s political editor, Laura Koensberg, reads on this comment.
“There is one thing that Nicolas Sturgeon and Boris Johnson agree on: This is not the time, given the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, to hold another referendum on Scottish independence.
But it is also the one thing that two of the most dominant figures in British politics agree on.
Beyond that, The Prime Minister She is determined to hold the vote in a short time.
Johnson, for his part, is clear that he will say no to the proposal.
Now, there is one thing these leaders have in common: The two have helped their parties’ victory, thanks to a large number of personal supporters, with a proposal that challenges political traditions, helping to renew their mandates. Parties to rule after a decade in power.
But if their disagreement is about the future it isMail must resolve one day, and the winner will be only one of the two.
Starting today, Sturgeon sharpened her rhetoric, stating that Boris Johnson is a denier of democracy and determined to reject the desires of what she has always called the “people of Scotland” who have expressed their desire for another referendum.
Some of his political supporters, as well as some of Johnson’s allies, believe Johnson’s vocal and persistent rejection of another referendum option could increase Scottish support going forward on its own.
Although the Scottish National Party did not achieve an absolute majority, with the support of the Green Party (the Green Party) it has a majority in Parliament that supports independence.
The Scottish National Party enjoys complete dominance in terms of seats. The parties that promised to hold another referendum also won.
Meanwhile, those who promised to block the referendum lost.
The road to justice?
On the other hand, Boris Johnson will resist allowing such a vote at any cost and appears determined, for the time being, to remain calm in the fight around the referendum.
In his arsenal of arguments, Johnson is referring to the law, specifically Schedule 5, Part 1 of the Law of Scotland (which we will hear a lot about in the coming months, as I expect) he says in black and white that the constitution is a “reserved matter.”
In other words, any change in the way a country is governed or in charge of that government is a decision taken by British politicians who hold seats in the British Parliament.
Now legal experts are not entirely sure how to interpret this in court, In the scenario the discussion will likely reach that state.
Panic or exhilaration
While Sturgeon has the Scottish Parliament at his side and Boris Johnson has the power and support to say “no” to a new referendum, they both face difficulties as well.
The Scottish leader might say that her nation’s parliament is pro-independence, but she knows very well that her people are divided on the issue.
John Curtis, an expert in the survey’s analysis, explains: “It appears that the Scottish National Party plus the Greens are targeting 49% of the vote in the constituency, and that the Scottish National Party plus the Greens and Alba (the pro-independence National Party) can win 51%. Of the votes in this election. ”
In fact, the only sure conclusion that can be drawn from these conclusions is that Scotland is divided in two halves on this institutional issue.He explains.
The sturgeon has a reliable majority in favor of a referendum in Parliament, but not when it comes to the votes of the people.
And while the prospect of another referendum pleases many voters, it scares others as well.
In addition, the various fronts supporting staying in the UK will remind her, whenever possible, that she and other political figures said that the 2014 referendum was “unique in every generation”.
On the one hand, Johnson may soon realize that “turning down” the request of the new Scottish Parliament will prove that the London government is simply not listening. It is one of the feelings that has driven many Scots to embrace the cause of independence.
And while the Johnson-led government is 100% certain it does not want another referendum, it is not entirely clear how to increase support for union rhetoric.
This issue is being discussed more frequently now than it has been in recent years, with promises of a new position, more funding and an approach helping the UK endeavor.
But while there appears to be a real conviction in conservative circles that “something must be done,” debates over what and how this can be convincingly are somewhat ambiguous.
Neither Johnson nor Sturgeon wants to start an all-out battle in this regard right now. It is a battle that has been postponed but has not gone away.
Both successful leaders are at stake … for that to change, one must lose.
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