SECOND SCOTTISH REFERENDUM

Subject : International Relations

Context : Recently, Scotland took to the polls to vote for its next parliament with a third of the results expected to be announced.

Concept :

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who leads the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), has described this election as the most important in her country’s history.
The Scottish election campaigns have been widely dominated by discussions around another independence referendum.

How Scotland could push for another referendum?

A referendum held without the consent of the British would struggle to gain international recognition similar to the 2017 Catalonian movement that was rejected by Madrid.
Under the Scotland Act of 1998, the Union between England and Scotland is a matter reserved for the British parliament.
Scotland will have limited options to hold a legally binding, internationally recognised referendum without the green light from London.

Impact of Scottish independence

The independence of Scotland from the UK would have widespread ramifications for both England and Scotland, as well as on the stability of the union as a whole.
The London School of Economics has predicted that independence from the UK would cost Scotland up to three times as much in lost revenue as Brexit will.
The negotiating of a trade deal with the EU or re-entering the bloc altogether will be a costly and time-consuming process.
Scotland would also have to bolster its defence capabilities, extract itself from British public funding schemes and establish independent trade and security arrangements with other countries.
England and Scotland would both have to consider the matter of creating a physical international border and account for the considerable number of people and goods that currently cross between the two nations.
The success or failure of the hypothetically independent Scottish state would have ramifications on the Northern Irish and Welsh independence movements respectively.

Types of Direct Democracy

Direct democracy has 4 devices – Referendum, Initiative, Recall and Plebiscite
Referendum – procedure in which a proposed legislation is referred to the electorate for acceptance through direct voting.
Initiative – method by means of which the people can propose a bill to the legislature for enactment.
Recall – way for voters to remove a representative or an officer before the expiry of his/her term, when he fails to discharge his duties properly.
Plebiscite – method of obtaining the opinion of people on any issue of public importance. It is generally used to solve territorial disputes.