The independence campaigning group, Yes Orkney, has said that today’s ,23rd of November, ruling by The UK Supreme Court’s shows that Scotland is in an involuntary union and strengthens the case for independence.
The UK Supreme Court made its judgment today on whether or not the Scottish Parliament could pass a Bill to hold a referendum on whether or not Scotland wished to stay within the UK.
Yes Orkney will be hosting a rally on the Kirk Green in front of St Magnus Cathedral at 5.15pm today to mark the Supreme Court ruling, Wednesday, to which anyone who supports the case for independence is welcome. It is part of a series of rallies across Scotland and Europe under the Time for Scotland banner.
Click on this link to access the judgment: REFERENCE by the Lord Advocate of devolution issues under paragraph 34 of Schedule 6 to the Scotland Act 1998
Wednesday’s ruling that the Scottish Government’s proposed referendum bill does relate to reserved matters and therefore permission would have to be given by Westminster merely puts the question back into the political arena, according to Robert Leslie of Yes Orkney.
Speaking after the ruling, Robert Leslie said:
“It is clear that a law that doesn’t allow Scotland to choose our own future without Westminster consent has blown out of the water any notion of the United Kingdom as a voluntary union. In my mind this only strengthens the case for independence. No country should be able to be held in a union against its will, especially a country whose government has a mandate to hold a referendum on independence.
“Now that we see we are in an involuntary union by law, Scotland needs to take this to the next stage and show that our rights to self-determination are being infringed.
“While others make that case, Yes Orkney will continue its job of persuading folk that Scottish independence, building a new relationship with the EU as a fairer, more equal alternative to the chaos of the broken, Brexit-obsessed Westminster system.
“As Scotland suffers from the instability of the Westminster Tories, with their hugely damaging economic policies, an independent Scottish Parliament, making decisions about our future for ourselves, becomes more attractive by the day.
“The actions of successive prime ministers and chancellors in 2022 have done nothing but worsen the cost-of-living crisis, with more and more people in Orkney telling me that they have come to the conclusion that there is a better, fairer way forward for Scotland.
“Fundamentally, we can’t afford the cost of living with Westminster. It’s time for Scotland to choose a better future as a normal independent country, and I believe Orkney can thrive as part of that.”
Categories: Local News
You had a vote it was no live with it .your so called govermant waste money like water .
What I said in my blog which I posted first thing this morning…. http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp …
“Independence For Scotland….
There are a lot of words being bandied about re. today’s decision by the British Supreme Court as to whether Scotland can hold an Independence Referendum or not. Much of this is confusing. To me – it’s simple enough – how is it that four nations are supposed to be part of a Union, but only one of those nations tells the others what they can and can’t do? Scotland isn’t telling England that it can or can’t have a referendum about becoming Independent. The ‘conquered nations’ argument doesn’t work because that’s not how Scotland came to be under English rule – that came about by merger, not conquest. If you don’t believe me, look it up in the history books.
That my tuppence worth. I await the result of the Court ruling with …the word ‘interest’ doesn’t even being to cover it.
England is sinking – Scotland can rise.”
What I’ll post tomorrow…..
“Where Now For Independence For Scotland?…..
Robert Leslie says it more clearly than I would – I tend to get stroppy – so, here’s Robert Leslie…
https://theorkneynews.scot/2022/11/23/in-my-mind-this-only-strengthens-the-case-for-independence-robert-leslie-on-the-uk-supreme-court-judgment/
And to those who say that Scotland had a choice and chose ‘NO’ – that was seven years ago. Things change – things have changed – a lot.”
I am stroppy – so much so that my typing has gone haywire.
I’m going to post this again….
“The People’s flag
Is brightest blue
Crossed by a broad
White line or two.
It stands for Scotland
Standing free
Not bound by force
Or adversity.
So raise the blue-bright
Banner high
Beneath its shade
We’ll live and die
Though cowards flinch
And traitors sneer
We’ll keep the Saltire
Flying here!”
BB – 2021
To the ones who say that Scotland had a choice in 2014 and said “no”: Every few years there are elections. Nobody of sound mind would dispute that there is a democratic right for this choice. Otherwise a nation would be stuck for eternity with a once chosen government, similarly to a banana republic or worse.
Voting is a dynamic process. Circumstances (political, economic, societal) are not static and neither are the choices made in reaction to these changes in circumstances.
How loud would the outcry be if suddenly the last general election would have been the last in a generation? And we’d be stuck with the Tories for decades to come without another election, another choice?
Since 2014 there have been significant changes. Unfortunately some of them would make independence harder. Harder, but by no means impossible. Many – from rUK upon Scotland imposed – changes were not welcome in Scotland. Some came at a price. And some could not have been foreseen in 2014. But however costly independence might be, not having independence might be even far more costly in the long run.
Today’s court decision was no surprise. But it will not stop the movement. It won’t stop the desire of many to make decisions for Scotland in Scotland. And it doesn’t matter whether there was an SNP government, or a Green, or a LibDem and so forth. Remember, every few years there are elections… to make choices.