Scottish Referendum Legislation: Supreme Court Decision

Joanna Cherry Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jack]

My hon. Friend is right; the majority of voters in Scotland vote for parties that support the Union.

[Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)]

The United Kingdom Supreme Court has answered a legal question this morning, not a political one. The lesson of history is that a nation’s exercise of its right to self-determination can be delayed, but not denied. Can the right hon. Gentleman answer the question that the Prime Minister could not or would not answer: if people living in Scotland continue to elect a majority of pro-independence Members of the Scottish Parliament and MPs who support a second independence referendum, what is the democratic route to realising that mandate?

[Mr Jack]

As I have pointed out, it is not the case that a majority of the Scottish electorate have voted for independence-supporting parties.