Local elections were held in the United Kingdom. While the ruling Conservative Party captured a majority of votes from Labour in England, revealing a sunny outlook for Conservative national rule, the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) won a marginal seat in central Edinburgh, one of the party’s key targets in the parliamentary election that could determine the future of Britain. But British Prime Minister Johnson has said he refuses to hold a referendum on Scottish independence. Sources said the Scottish National Party plans to pass legislation to hold a new referendum by the end of 2023. It will then be up to the British government to challenge the decision in court.
According to a report in Apple Daily today, votes are still being counted in Britain’s local elections, but the Conservatives have confirmed their capture of Hartlepool, Labour’s traditional vote bank in England, reflecting a strong case for staying in power. A cabinet official said outright that Prime Minister Johnson is expected to govern for more than 10 years, surpassing Margaret Thatcher’s record of 11 years at any time.
The report said, however, the issue of Scottish independence is still a worry for Johnson’s administration, he said in an interview that even if the Scottish National Party again in the local majority of seats, he will still refuse the other side to hold a second referendum on independence.
According to Reuters, the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) won a marginal seat in central Edinburgh, one of the party’s key targets in the parliamentary election that could determine the future of the U.K. Angus Robertson, the SNP’s former deputy leader, took the highly symbolic seat from the Conservatives.
Scotland erupted in one of the world’s most famous independence movements, with Scottish Chief Minister Nicola Sturgeon calling the election the most important in Scottish history. Sturgeon, who is the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has vowed to claim the legal power to hold another referendum by the end of 2023 if her party wins a majority in the 129-seat Scottish parliament.
All polls suggest the SNP will win a fourth term, but polls also show the party’s support has fallen recently, suggesting its prospects of winning an absolute majority remain uncertain. the only time the SNP won a majority in a general election was in 2011. Then-UK Prime Minister David Cameron bowed to pressure and agreed to hold a referendum in 2014. The result was a 55-45 percent referendum in which Scots decided to remain in the United Kingdom.
Prime Minister Johnson has said he will dismiss any demands as the issue was settled seven years ago.
The SNP has said they plan to pass legislation to hold a new referendum by the end of 2023. It will then be up to the British government to challenge the decision in court.
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