British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday he respected the “clear and final decision” of Britain’s Supreme Court to deny the Scottish Parliament the right to pass laws to hold a referendum on independence.
“We respect the clear and final decision of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom,” he said during the weekly debate in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament today, urging the Scottish government to focus on day-to-day policy.
Sunak argued that “the people of Scotland want us to work collectively to tackle the big challenges we face, be it the economy, supporting the NHS [sistema de saúde público]or even aid to Ukraine”.
The head of the UK government responded to Scottish National Party (SNP) parliamentary leader Ian Blackford, who accused Sunak of “denying the people of Scotland democracy”.
Since 2014, he recalls, the SNP has won “eight consecutive elections” and as of 2021 the Scottish Parliament has “the largest majority for an independence referendum” since 1999.
“The Prime Minister continues to block this referendum, so he should at least be honest and affirm that the idea of the UK being a voluntary union of nations is now dead and gone,” he challenged.
For his part, Sunak stressed that Scotland “has one of the most powerful devolved assemblies in the world”.
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled today that the Scottish Regional Parliament cannot enact legislation to hold a second referendum on the independence of the British province at the request of the Home Rule Government.
In a verdict read by the president of the court of last resort [equivalente ao Tribunal Constitucional em Portugal]Robert Reed, said that “the Scottish Parliament has no power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence”.
The collective of judges unanimously affirmed that matters of sovereignty are the preserve of the Westminster Parliament in London, in accordance with the Scottish Home Rule Act 1998.
“Scotland Act gives the Scottish Parliament limited powers. In particular, the Scottish Parliament has no legislative powers in relation to matters reserved for the British Parliament at Westminster,” explained Reed.
Source: DN
