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Nicola Sturgeon: Brexit ruling makes need for independence vote clearer Nicola Sturgeon: Brexit ruling makes need for independence vote clearer
(35 minutes later)
Nicola Sturgeon has challenged Scottish voters to decide whether they are content to have the country’s fate decided by rightwing Tories in London or would rather vote for independence.Nicola Sturgeon has challenged Scottish voters to decide whether they are content to have the country’s fate decided by rightwing Tories in London or would rather vote for independence.
The first minister again raised the prospect of a snap referendum on independence after the UK supreme court in London unanimously rejected her argument that Holyrood had to be consulted about triggering article 50.The first minister again raised the prospect of a snap referendum on independence after the UK supreme court in London unanimously rejected her argument that Holyrood had to be consulted about triggering article 50.
In an angry attack on the UK government’s approach to Scotland’s pro-EU stance, Sturgeon said the ruling meant all Westminster assurances that Scotland was an equal partner in the union were worthless.In an angry attack on the UK government’s approach to Scotland’s pro-EU stance, Sturgeon said the ruling meant all Westminster assurances that Scotland was an equal partner in the union were worthless.
“This raises fundamental issues above and beyond that of EU membership. Is Scotland content for our future to be dictated by an increasingly rightwing Westminster government with just one MP here, or is it better that we take our future into our own hands?” she said.“This raises fundamental issues above and beyond that of EU membership. Is Scotland content for our future to be dictated by an increasingly rightwing Westminster government with just one MP here, or is it better that we take our future into our own hands?” she said.
“It is becoming ever clearer that this is a choice that Scotland must make.”“It is becoming ever clearer that this is a choice that Scotland must make.”
To drive that point home, Sturgeon confirmed her government would table its own legislative consent motion in Holyrood, regardless of the supreme court’s ruling. Sturgeon added that her government would table its own legislative consent motion in Holyrood, regardless of the ruling.
The court’s 11 judges, including two Scottish justices, said the longstanding convention that the UK’s three devolved parliaments had a right to vote on any Westminster legislation that affected their powers did not apply to EU membership. The supreme court’s 11 justices, including two Scottish judges, said the longstanding convention that the UK’s three devolved parliaments had a right to vote on any Westminster legislation that affected their powers did not apply to EU membership.
The Welsh and Northern Irish governments had also called for their parliaments to be formally asked to approve triggering article 50. But the court ruled that the Sewel convention, named after the Labour peer who drafted that clause, applied to domestic not international affairs. The Welsh and Northern Irish governments had also called for their assemblies to be formally asked to approve triggering article 50. But the court ruled that the Sewel convention, named after the Labour peer who drafted that clause, applied to domestic not international affairs.
Sturgeon had expected that decision and had already admitted that even if that convention had applied, it did not amount to a veto for Holyrood over Westminster’s constitutional right to press on with triggering article 50. Sturgeon had expected that decision and had already admitted that even if the Sewel convention had applied, it did not amount to a veto for Holyrood over Westminster’s constitutional right to press on with triggering article 50.
The first minister said instead that the supreme court ruling exposed how weak the Sewel convention was. Sturgeon said she would press the case for a compromise deal on Scottish access to the EU when she meets Theresa May for crunch talks on Brexit at the joint ministerial committee for devolved and UK governments on Monday. The first minister said the supreme court ruling exposed how weak the convention was. Sturgeon said she would press the case for a compromise deal on Scottish access to the EU when she meets Theresa May for talks on Brexit at the joint ministerial committee for devolved and UK governments on Monday.
“It is now crystal clear that the promises made to Scotland by the UK government about the Sewel convention, and the importance of embedding it in statute, were not worth the paper they were written on,” she said.“It is now crystal clear that the promises made to Scotland by the UK government about the Sewel convention, and the importance of embedding it in statute, were not worth the paper they were written on,” she said.
“Although the court has concluded that the UK government is not legally obliged to consult the devolved administrations, there remains a clear political obligation to do so. Indeed, the court itself notes the importance of Sewel as a political convention.”“Although the court has concluded that the UK government is not legally obliged to consult the devolved administrations, there remains a clear political obligation to do so. Indeed, the court itself notes the importance of Sewel as a political convention.”
The Holyrood vote will have no legal standing but politically is likely to expose growing divisions at Holyrood over Scotland’s stance on the EU, with the Scottish Tories now insisting that the Scottish parliament embrace the opportunities presented to it by Brexit. The Holyrood vote will have no legal standing but politically is likely to expose growing divisions among MSPs over Scotland’s stance on the EU, with the Scottish Tories now insisting that the Scottish parliament embrace the opportunities presented to it by Brexit.
There was initially cross-party consensus that Scotland should be allowed special access to the single market because its voters rejected leaving the EU by a large 62% to 38% margin. Scottish Labour is also under pressure: it backed giving Scotland special status but that stance has been rejected by Jeremy Corbyn, the party’s UK leader. There was initially cross-party consensus that Scotland should be allowed special access to the single market because its voters rejected leaving the EU 62% to 38%. Scottish Labour is also under pressure: it backed giving Scotland special status but that stance has been rejected by Jeremy Corbyn, the party’s UK leader.
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, said her party would “have no truck with yet more SNP stunts on Brexit”, and would oppose Sturgeon’s new article 50 motion. “The SNP tried to use this hearing to hold the rest of the UK to ransom. It has comprehensively failed to do so,” Davidson said. “All parties should now respect the ruling that the court has given. Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, said her party would “have no truck with yet more SNP stunts on Brexit”, and would oppose Sturgeon’s new article 50 motion. “The SNP tried to use this hearing to hold the rest of the UK to ransom. It has comprehensively failed to do so,” Davidson said. “All parties should now respect the ruling that the court has given.”
Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said her party would continue to back Sturgeon’s case for a special Scottish deal, but implied that Labour would withdraw support for future constitutional battles.Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, said her party would continue to back Sturgeon’s case for a special Scottish deal, but implied that Labour would withdraw support for future constitutional battles.
Dugdale did not comment on Sturgeon’s plan for a Holyrood vote on article 50, but said: “Unity cannot be achieved by a politics that sees one half of the country constantly facing off against the other. We are divided enough already.”Dugdale did not comment on Sturgeon’s plan for a Holyrood vote on article 50, but said: “Unity cannot be achieved by a politics that sees one half of the country constantly facing off against the other. We are divided enough already.”
Labour officials said Dugdale would not comment on the article 50 vote until they had seen the motion’s wording.Labour officials said Dugdale would not comment on the article 50 vote until they had seen the motion’s wording.
Sturgeon hopes the clash will increase lukewarm popular support for a snap independence referendum. Recent opinion polls by YouGov and BMG show only about 38% Scottish voters want an independence vote this year, excluding don’t knows, with only 45% backing independence. Including don’t knows, support for independence falls to 38%. Sturgeon hopes the clash will increase lukewarm popular support for a snap independence referendum. Recent opinion polls by YouGov and BMG show only 38% Scottish voters want a vote this year, excluding don’t knows, with only 45% backing independence. Including don’t knows, support for independence falls to 38%.
That has forced Sturgeon to rule out a referendum during 2017, but there is growing speculation she is poised to call one for 2018. She is under heavy pressure within the SNP, chiefly from her predecessor Alex Salmond, to hold a vote soon to ensure Scotland’s EU membership can be transferred smoothly before the UK leaves the EU. That has forced Sturgeon to rule out a referendum during 2017, but there is growing speculation she may call one for 2018. She is under heavy pressure within the SNP, chiefly from her predecessor Alex Salmond, to hold a vote soon to ensure Scotland’s EU membership can be transferred smoothly before the UK leaves the EU.
Salmond, now the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman in the Commons, greeted the supreme court’s decision that Westminster had to vote on triggering article 50 by announcing the SNP would table 50 “serious and substantive” amendments to that bill. Salmond, now the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman in the Commons, greeted the supreme court’s decision by announcing the SNP would table 50 “serious and substantive” amendments to the article 50 bill.
That would include a demand that May gets agreement from all three devolved governments before she triggers article 50. Salmond said May should also publish a full white paper on Brexit alongside the article 50 bill as demanded by the cross-party Commons select committee on exiting the EU. That would include a demand that May gets agreement from all three devolved governments before she triggers article 50. Salmond said she should also publish a full white paper on Brexit alongside the article 50 bill as demanded by the cross-party Commons select committee on exiting the EU.
Yet in his statement, Salmond ignored the supreme court’s unanimous rejection of the Scottish government’s claim it had a constitutional right to be formally consulted.Yet in his statement, Salmond ignored the supreme court’s unanimous rejection of the Scottish government’s claim it had a constitutional right to be formally consulted.
“The prime minister and her hard Brexit brigade must treat devolved administrations as equal partners – as indeed she promised to do,” Salmond said. He said: “If Theresa May is intent on being true to her word that Scotland and the other devolved administrations are equal partners in this process, then now is the time to show it. Now is the time to sit with the joint ministerial committee and not just casually acknowledge, but constructively engage. Consultation must mean consultation.”
“If Theresa May is intent on being true to her word that Scotland and the other devolved administrations are equal partners in this process, then now is the time to show it. Now is the time to sit with the joint ministerial committee and not just casually acknowledge, but constructively engage. Consultation must mean consultation.”