A SENIOR SNP MP is urging party leaders to make the preparations for holding a second vote on independence without waiting for Westminster to consent to such a ballot.
While First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has shied away from holding a consultative referendum, Joanna Cherry QC insisted that "now is the moment to begin the preparations".
She said on Twitter: "Boris Johnson should be put on notice that we have options & we are not afraid to push forward."
The SNP home affairs spokeswoman at Westminster suggested Holyrood should pass a Bill to hold a consultative referendum, and then let the PM mount a legal challenge on whether they had the power to do so.
Such a case would be decided at the UK Supreme Court, with Cherry stating: "Many legal experts think we would win the argument."
Setting out her case on Twitter she said "now is the moment to begin the preparations. To tell Johnson "see you in court" if he continues to block Scotland's demand for #Indyref2''.
She spoke out as a poll showed a majority of Scots were in favour of Holyrood legislating to hold a referendum, if Westminster continues to block demands for a vote on the continuation of the Union.
The Panelbase survey asked people for their views on what should happen if the UK Government continues to refuse to give permission for an independence vote - asking if the Scottish Parliament should legislate for such a ballot and then allow the courts to decide if it could go ahead.
Of those who expressed an opinion, 56% agreed with such an approach, with 44% opposed.
Cherry, who was involved in the successful legal challenge to the PM which last year saw the prorogation of Parliament ruled as unlawful, argued that taking this stance could "move us away from the current impasse" - which has seen both Theresa May and Boris Johnson refuse requests from the First Minister for Holyrood to be given the powers to hold a referendum.
She stated: "I believe that Holyrood passing a Bill to hold a referendum could be part of a multi-faceted strategy to move us away from the current impasse & stop the constant and unproductive talk about Section 30 orders & seeking "permission" to act from Westminster.
"The balance of legal opinion is that we might well win any court challenge & I don't believe that losing would set us back any further than where we are just now."
Sturgeon insisted she would not sanction a "wildcat" unauthorised referendum, as was held in Catalonia, when she set out her "next steps" towards independence at the end of January.
However, she said then that there could come a time when the Scottish Government would consider holding a consultative vote - if this was ruled to be legal by the courts.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel