Edinburgh: The Scottish parliament is expected to officially register its opposition to the British government’s march towards Brexit on Tuesday in a vote that will further strain the bonds of the United Kingdom. Scotland’s nationalist government has said the vote will be one of the most important in the semi-autonomous parliament’s 18-year history.
“This is one of the most significant votes in the history of the Scottish parliament since devolution,” said Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
“This vote is far more than symbolic. It is a key test of whether Scotland’s voice is being listened to and whether our wishes can be accommodated within the UK process,” added Sturgeon, who is also the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).
British lawmakers are currently debating a bill to start the country’s withdrawal from the European Union, but the Scottish government says the draft legislation should not proceed as Edinburgh has received no commitment that it will be consulted on the exit terms.
Twenty months later Scotland voted to remain in the EU by 62 percent, but it was outvoted by England. Northern Ireland voted to stay in the bloc while Wales went with Leave in the June referendum, resulting in Brexit succeeding overall with 52 per cent of the vote.— AFP
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