THE European Green Party (EGP) have called on the UK Government to respect Scotland’s right to self-determination and agree to a timetable for a fresh independence referendum.
The party, which is made up 36 member parties based across the EU and includes parties of government in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Ireland, put out the joint statement with the Scottish Greens during its 2022 Congress this weekend.
More than 1000 Green representatives from across Europe met in Copenhagen to discuss policy and agree on strategies for 2024’s European elections.
Patrick Harvie, Scottish Greens co-leader and Government minister, was in attendance for the sixth annual event.
In their statement, the EGP and Scottish Greens acknowledged the recent Supreme Court ruling that Scotland cannot legally have a referendum without Westminster’s permission.
“This ruling does not alter the principle that Scotland’s future must be determined by the people of Scotland,” they said, adding that indyref2 is now once again in the political arena rather than the legal one.
They went on: “The UK Government must not be allowed to hide from the democratic mandate of the Scottish Government. It must not disregard Scotland’s democratic right to hold a legal referendum on independence.
“The urgency felt by many people in Scotland on this issue is increasing, in light of the escalating damage of a Brexit that was overwhelmingly rejected by Scotland.
“The United Kingdom describes itself as a voluntary partnership; yet the UK Government has provided no method with which Scotland is able to exercise its democratic right to self-determination. As a result, the Union is being imposed upon the people of Scotland without any means of expressing their democratic consent.”
The statement concludes: “The EGP supports the position of the Scottish Green Party, and together we call on the UK Government to respect Scotland's right to self-determination and agree on a timeframe with the Scottish Government for granting a Section 30 order and enabling the Scottish Parliament to legislate for a legal referendum in which the people of Scotland can democratically express their opinion on whether or not Scotland should become an independent country or remain part of the United Kingdom.”
You can read the full statement here. The letter has been signed by Melanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz, co-chairs of the EGP, Ute Michel and Mina Jack Tolu, two of the party’s committee members, as well as Harvie and his co-leader Lorna Slater.
It comes after Europeans sent support to Scotland in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.
Gatherings were held in Paris, Berlin, Munich, Brussels, Dublin and elsewhere after the verdict was reached, with organisers Europe for Scotland telling independence supporters: “You are not alone in this fight.”
“Europeans will always keep a light on for Scotland,” they said.
