UK top court rules against Scottish plans for independence referendum

A campaigner for Scottish independence holds a Scottish flag outside the UK Supreme Court in London, ahead of its decision on whether the Scottish government can hold a second referendum on independence next year without approval from the British parliament, 23 November 2022. © Peter Nicholls/Reuters

Britain’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Scottish government cannot hold a new independence referendum without approval from Britain’s parliament, shutting down promises by the nationalists to hold a second vote next year.

In a unanimous decision, the five judges of Britain’s highest court ruled that the UK parliament had the power to approve - or block - a referendum, under the 1998 Scotland Act, which created the Scottish parliament and devolved some powers to the government in London, including matters relating to the Union.