The UK Supreme Court has set 11 and 12 October 2022 to hear the Scottish government's request to break free from London's agreement to hold a new independence referendum, the top court announced Friday.
Despite the repeated refusal of the UK government, the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the pro-independence SNP party, intends to hold a new referendum on independence on 19 October 2023, reports the Belga News Agency.
Anticipating a legal battle with the central government, Sturgeon has taken the initiative and referred the matter to the Supreme Court, asking it to determine whether the Scottish Parliament has the power to legislate to organise this referendum without the agreement of the UK government.
Scots were previously consulted on the issue in 2014, and 55% of voters wanted to remain within the UK.
However, the SNP believes that Brexit has changed the game, with 62% of Scots voting against it in 2016. The SNP's aim is for Scotland to join the European Union as an independent state.
A recent poll, published on 30 June, shows that Scottish voters remain divided on the issue: 44% of those polled said they would vote for independence, 46% against, leaving 10% undecided.
