On Tuesday 10th January, the Scottish parliament voted to reaffirm its belief that people in Scotland have the right to determine the form of government best suited to their needs, and that the United Kingdom should be a voluntary association of nations, and that it should be open to any of the UK’s nations to choose by democratic means to withdraw from the union.

This vote came after a debate on Scotland’s right to choose its future. The original motion, lodged by the Constitution secretary Angus Robertson MSP, was passed with a 70-54 majority vote.

Thus, the Scottish parliament voted to reaffirm the rights of the Scottish people to vote on the democratic and constitutional future of Scotland.

Reacting to this, Christina McKelvie MSP, the SNP MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, said:

“Despite the very best efforts of the Labour and Tory party, both north and south of the border, to block Scottish democracy, I am proud that my party continues to stand up for the needs of the Scottish people.

“It is the very antithesis of democracy to suggest that a court, or a parliament, that sits out with a nation should be able to dictate the future of another democratic country. Yet, this is what is happening to Scotland.

“After the Holyrood elections on May 6th 2021, there is a clear, undeniable, unquestionable majority of seats held by parties that campaigned incredibly transparently on manifesto pledges of a referendum on independence. This majority reflects the opinion of most Scots, as many recent polls have strongly communicated.

“To block the sovereign right of a nation to determine its own future is a malevolent card straight from the worst of the Trumpian playbook.

“We want to build a fairer, greener, wealthier, healthier independent European nation, and as long as this will reflects the will of the Scottish people, we will continue to work until this is achieved.”