In this file photo taken on May 1, 2021 a pro-independence protester wearing a protective face covering to combat the spread of the coronavirus, joins a gathering in George Square, Glasgow, ahead of the upcoming Scottish Parliament election which is to be held on May 6, 2021.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss and her predecessor, Boris Johnson, said they would not grant permission for any referendum, saying a 2014 plebiscite, in which Scots rejected ending the 300-year-old union by 55%-45%, was a once-in-a-generation event that should not be repeated. The Supreme Court, Britain’s top court with authority over all civil matters across the United Kingdom, is now being asked whether the Scottish government can pass legislation to allow a second referendum without approval from the UK parliament in London.
Under the 1998 Scotland Act, which created the Scottish parliament and devolved some powers from Westminster, all matters relating to the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England are reserved to the UK parliament.However, the SNP, which has dominated Scottish politics for more than a decade, winning the overwhelming majority of Scottish seats in the 2019 UK election, says this means the views of Scots are being ignored.