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Political row over Scottish independence vote
The most important decision for Scotland — its independence from the UK — has run into a constitutional chaos with the Scottish Government proposing to stage a referendum on the issue in 2014 and the UK Government deeming the proposal illegal in a bid to seize control of the terms of the historic vote.
The high-stake political gamble began on Tuesday with Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond ending months of speculation to announce his Government wants to have the referendum in the autmun of 2014. He was “extremely confident” of a yes vote, he told the media. The crisis began with Salmond saying that he would brook no intervention from the UK Government on the referendum issue. He said: “This has to be a referendum which is built in Scotland, which is made in Scotland and goes through the Scottish parliament. If the Westminster government sticks to that, we won’t have too many fights about it.”
However, the David Cameron Government immediately warned Salmond that he faces considerable legal obstacles if he tries tohold the independence referendum without the agreement of the UK Government. The UK Government has received legal advice that the Scottish parliament currently had no legal authority to stage the referendum in any form.
Moreover, under the Scotland Act 1998,the Scottish Government is explicitly barred from passing any measure which affected the UK’s constitution.
Based on this advice, the Cameron Government on Wednesday asserted that either the Government or the citizens will move the courts to strike down the referendum as unlawful in case Salmond went ahead with it without the UK Government’s approval.
Salmond has openly been saying that the proposed referendum would be a multiple option independence referendum. It would not only seek the Scottish people’s opinion on the independence issue, but also its quantum including total independence from the UK.
He is being encouraged to think along these lines because of a civic movement which is bein simultaneously planned to prop up the independence issue.
The movement, within Scotland, is being led by civic leaders, senior figures in the Scottish voluntary sector, trade union movement, churches and business. Their initiative is to be formally announced in late January.
The most important decision for Scotland — its independence from the UK — has run into a constitutional chaos with the Scottish Government proposing to stage a referendum on the issue in 2014 and the UK Government deeming the proposal illegal in a bid to seize control of the terms of the historic vote.
The high-stake political gamble began on Tuesday with Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond ending months of speculation to announce his Government wants to have the referendum in the autmun of 2014. He was “extremely confident” of a yes vote, he told the media. The crisis began with Salmond saying that he would brook no intervention from the UK Government on the referendum issue. He said: “This has to be a referendum which is built in Scotland, which is made in Scotland and goes through the Scottish parliament. If the Westminster government sticks to that, we won’t have too many fights about it.”
However, the David Cameron Government immediately warned Salmond that he faces considerable legal obstacles if he tries tohold the independence referendum without the agreement of the UK Government. The UK Government has received legal advice that the Scottish parliament currently had no legal authority to stage the referendum in any form.
Moreover, under the Scotland Act 1998,the Scottish Government is explicitly barred from passing any measure which affected the UK’s constitution.
Based on this advice, the Cameron Government on Wednesday asserted that either the Government or the citizens will move the courts to strike down the referendum as unlawful in case Salmond went ahead with it without the UK Government’s approval.
Salmond has openly been saying that the proposed referendum would be a multiple option independence referendum. It would not only seek the Scottish people’s opinion on the independence issue, but also its quantum including total independence from the UK.
He is being encouraged to think along these lines because of a civic movement which is bein simultaneously planned to prop up the independence issue.
The movement, within Scotland, is being led by civic leaders, senior figures in the Scottish voluntary sector, trade union movement, churches and business. Their initiative is to be formally announced in late January.
