In the general election in Scotland, the pro-independence party SNP declared itself the winner. “Absolutely no one would have predicted the scale and record of our victory in this election,” Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon said on Saturday night. Shortly before all votes were counted, it was already clear that the SNP is by far the strongest force in Parliament and has improved its result even further.
An absolute majority, however, will probably be missed by the party campaigning for a return to the EU. According to a projection by the BBC on Saturday, the SNP could win 63 seats. An absolute majority requires 65 parliamentary seats. However, a majority of pro-independence supporters in Parliament is still expected, as the Greens also advocate detachment from Great Britain.
SNP plans new Referendum
The Scottish independence supporters want to push through a new independence referendum. Sturgeon renewed her call for the British government to agree to a referendum. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is threatening a” battle with the democratic wishes of the Scottish people ” if he tries to block a vote, Sturgeon said.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Johnson expressed his opposition to a possible referendum: “I think that a referendum is irresponsible and reckless in the current context.«
Scotland forms the United Kingdom together with England and Wales for 314 years. Following the 2014 referendum in which the Scots voted to remain in the UK, the UK decided to leave the European Union against the wishes of the Scots. If Scots vote for independence in a second vote, it would be the biggest shock to the UK since Irish independence a century ago.
Labour wins in Wales
In the general election in Wales, the ruling Labour party clearly won, but narrowly missed out on an absolute majority. The party of Prime Minister Mark Drakeford is gaining 30 of the 60 seats in the parliament in Cardiff, the electoral commission announced on Saturday. 31 mandates are required for an absolute majority in the so-called Senedd. Until now, Labour had been the 29th Labour government in Wales for decades. Drakeford was able to boost his reputation in the corona pandemic through a policy of calm hand.
