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Hundreds of pro-independence supporters took to Buchanan street last night in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling against another referendum next October.
The crowd began to form at around 5:30pm following a tweet from the Glasgow SNP branch urging supporters to show their support against the decision yesterday morning.
Twitter: @Shettleston_SNP
It’s been eight years since the first independence referendum, with 55% of the electorate wanting Scotland to remain with the UK in what was deemed as a once in a generation vote.
However, many nationalists believe another poll should be held next year because promises made by the remain side back in 2014 were not kept and the UK political landscape has changed dramatically since then.
Speaking to independence supporters outside the Supreme Court Ian Blackford said: “It’s been a momentous day, it’s a day in our journey to independence.”
He added: “I think one of the things that will come out of this today is the resolve from people. We have the absolute determination to deliver on the mandate that was given by the people of Scotland to our government in the 2021 election.”
A number of pro-independence events took place in towns and cities all throughout Scotland as well as Glasgow, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke to a gathering that had assembled outside the Scottish Parliament.
Credit: Flickr
The SNP leader said: “No establishment, Westminster or otherwise, will silence the voice of the Scottish people.”
Now the Glasgow MSP will use the next general election as a de facto referendum as said previously when asked what she would do if the result would not go her way.
However, this may also prove to be a problem for the SNP as recent polls on independence have shown that the mood is very slightly leaning towards the remain vote.
She said: “In my view, that can only be an election. The next national election scheduled for Scotland is, of course, the UK general election.
“Making that both the first and the most obvious opportunity to seek what I described as a ‘de facto’ referendum.”
Sturgeon, who marked eight years in the top job this year added: “Now that the Supreme Court’s ruling is known and de facto referendum is no longer hypothetical, it is necessary to agree the precise detail of the proposition we intend to put before the country,”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak encouraged the ruling from the supreme court, and speaking at PMQs he said: “The people of Scotland want us to be working on fixing the major challenges that we collectively face, whether that’s the economy, supporting the NHS or indeed supporting Ukraine.
“Now is the time for politicians to work together and that’s what this government will do.”
