Scottish government warns London bank to push for separatist referendum

Nicola Sturgeon warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson about a second independence referendum as the Scottish National Party (SNP) ended a seat below the general majority in the Scottish Parliament.

After the “super Thursday” election in the UK, and with a recount partly delayed by the COVID-19 crisis, Sturgeon argued that the result dictated that a majority in favor of independence was “without question”.

The Prime Minister’s remarks were clear for Britain’s seat of government at Downing Street 10. Sturgeon has said his administration “will start a fight with the democratic wishes of the Scottish people” if it tries to block another vote.

The SNP won 64 seats, one more than in the last election, while the Tories, Boris Johnson’s party, remained at 31. Labor fell two to 22 seats, the Greens rose two to eight and the Liberal Democrats fell by a four seat. Alex Salmond’s Alba party failed to win a seat.

This is the worst result for Scottish Labor in the general elections, but also the best result for the Greens, also in favor of a separation from the United Kingdom, with 8 seats, allowing the formation of a majority in favor of the independence.

Johnson, who has the power to authorize this referendum, strongly opposes it, considering that such a consultation can only be done once in a generation. In 2014, 55% of Scottish voters voted to stay in the UK.

In an interview with the British newspaper Telegraph, the British Prime Minister considered that “a referendum in the current context is irresponsible and reckless”.

Quick to think, however, Johnson wrote on Saturday evening to the Scottish Prime Minister, as well as to Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford, saying they must show a “spirit of unity and cooperation” and focus on repair of the economy. The English press considers the meeting as “a summit to save the union”

A pro-independence majority

“There seems to be no doubt that there will be a pro-independence majority in this Scottish Parliament,” said Sturgeon, who will be dismissed as Scottish Prime Minister in the Holyrood election. These comments refer to the Greens, who also support a self-determination referendum.

In fact, the results announced are enough for the SNP to win a fourth term and govern with the Greens.

Referring directly to the London government, the Scottish Nationalist Party leader added that “the only people who can decide Scotland’s future are the Scots,” she said.

SNP’s hopes of winning an overall majority have been dashed, but the party will be Holyrood’s largest party and will now enjoy a historic fourth term.

Conservatives manage to avoid complaints and criticism

“Super Thursday” reassures Boris Johnson’s match. Despite a slew of complaints about close ties between power and private interests, Johnson managed to maintain the progress the Tories made in the 2019 parliamentary elections in the so-called Labor ‘red wall’, those parts of northern England affected by deindustrialisation and favorable to Brexit.

Friday night’s signals suggested a strong performance in England for the Tories, gaining a net gain of seven local authorities and 155 seats, while Labor’s four authorities.

Moreover, the Labor Party suffered a setback at Hartlepool which left party leader Keir Starmer in the midst of a political crisis. Starmer had promised to do “everything possible” to regain the confidence of the voters.

Where they have performed well is in Wales, where they retain control of the local parliament, which allows them to remain in power.

Another highlight gathered on election day is that Labor MP Joanne Anderson, 47, was elected mayor of Liverpool (northern England), becoming the first black woman to be elected head of a major British city. .

In London, Labor Party member Sadiq Khan, who in 2016 was the first Muslim to rule a major western capital, is favored for a second term against Tory Shaun Bailey, though final results will have to wait, election officials say .

Michael Keating, one of the world’s foremost experts on new nationalisms, spoke clearly of the challenge facing the UK: ‘Brexit breaks the union’. For the professor from the University of Aberdeen: “Brexit gave birth to a ‘neo-unionism’ with nationalist overtones”