#AceNewsDesk – Scottish government loses IndyRef2 court case but Sturgeon says its not over saying Scottish Democracy will not be denied Read the full Supreme Court ruling here:
2/ Scottish democracy will not be denied. Todayโs ruling blocks one route to Scotlandโs voice being heard on independence – but in a democracy our voice cannot and will not be silenced. I'll make a full statement later this morning – tune in around 11.30am
Court president Lord Reed said the laws that created the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999 meant it did not have power over areas of the constitution including the union between Scotland and England: By Stuart Nicolson: BBC Scotland News
The Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum without the UK government’s consent, the Supreme Court has ruled:
Supreme Court president Lord Reed read the verdict of the justices
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants to hold a referendum on 19 October next year.
But the court ruled unanimously that she does not have the power to do so because the issue is reserved to Westminster.
The UK government has refused to grant formal consent for another referendum
These issues are reserved to the UK Parliament, he said, and in absence of an agreement between the two governments the Scottish Parliament is therefore unable to legislate for a referendum.
He also rejected the Scottish government’s argument that any referendum would simply be “advisory” and would have no legal effect on the union, with people only being asked to give their opinion on whether or not Scotland should become an independent country.
Lord Reed said: “A lawfully held referendum would have important political consequences relating to the union and the United Kingdom Parliament.
“Its outcome would possess the authority, in a constitution and political culture founded upon democracy, of a democratic expression of the view of the Scottish electorate.
“It is therefore clear that the proposed Bill has more than a loose or consequential connection with the reserved matters of the Union of Scotland and England, and the sovereignty of the United Kingdom Parliament.”
Responding to the outcome, Ms Sturgeon said she was disappointed but respected the ruling of the court, and stressed that the judges do not make the law and only interpret it.
She added: “That is a hard pill for any supporter of independence, and surely indeed for any supporter of democracy, to swallow.”
The first minister told a media conference that a referendum remained her preferred option, but in the absence of an agreement the SNP would use the next UK general election as a “de facto referendum” in an attempt to demonstrate that a majority of people in Scotland support independence.
The “precise detail” of how this would work will now be a matter for the party to debate, she said, with a special conference to be held in the new year.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We must and we will find another democratic, lawful means for Scottish people to express their will” and accused the UK government of “democracy denial”.
A series of pro-independence rallies will be held in towns and cities across Scotland on Wednesday evening.
Recent opinion polls have suggested that the country is essentially split down the middle on the independence question, but with a very narrow majority in favour of staying in the UK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the “clear and definitive ruling” from the Supreme Court: Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, 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.”
A series of pro-independence rallies will be held in towns and cities across Scotland on Wednesday evening
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said there was not a majority in Scotland for either a referendum or independence, but there there was a “majority in Scotland and across the UK for change”.
The case was referred to the Supreme Court by Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, the Scottish government’s top law officer.
Ms Bain said at the time that she did not have the “necessary degree of confidence” that Holyrood would have the power to pass legislation for a referendum without UK government consent.
She said the issue was of “exceptional public importance” and asked the UK’s top court to provide a definitive ruling.
The court heard two days of legal arguments from both the UK and Scottish governments last month, with its ruling being delivered just six weeks later – earlier than many experts had expected.
The independence referendum in 2014, in which voters backed remaining in the UK by 55% to 45%, was possible because the UK government agreed to temporarily transfer the necessary powers to the Scottish Parliament to allow the vote to be held through what is known as a Section 30 order.
Recent opinion polls have suggested that the country is essentially split down the middle on the independence question, but with a very narrow majority in favour of staying in the UK.
Editor says โฆSterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceDailyNews says here’s today Scotland’s Headlines: It’s all about ‘ FLOODS WREAKING HAVOC ‘ & GP’s turn to ‘ EMERGENCY CASES ONLY ‘ to COPE with NO STAFF Kindness & Love XX says ๐๐’s to Keep People Safe O’ Lord Amen
Friday’s severe weather and the havoc it brought makes a few of Scotland’s front pages. The Courier pictures a woman being rescued from her home by the ambulance service after heavy rain hit and weather warnings were extended into the evening.“Scotland swamped …and it’s still raining” says The Scottish Daily Express while it pictures a car stuck in high water. It reports on the search for a dog walker thought to be missing amid widespread flooding and says there could be more on the way.“That sinking feeling” describes scenes of flooding in Edinburgh in the Evening News. It focuses on cars which were stuck at a flooded junction in the city on Friday.“Anyone for Venice?” jokes The Daily Star of Scotland as it puts a gondolier on an image of the same junction in Edinburgh. It asks, with fuel costs soaring, tax on Teslas and constant rain, should we switch to gondolas?A Scotsman exclusive reveals some GP surgeries are being forced to warn patients they can only handle emergency appointments as pressure continues to grow on the health service.The Herald warns that tens of thousands of tenants in social housing in Scotland are facing rent increases when the national rent freeze ends, at the same time as energy bills are to rise by about ยฃ500. The paper claims a focus group was told hikes of 6.5% would be needed to maintain existing services.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer peeks out from the centre of the Times’s front page as he talks about his difficult teenage years while his mother was ill. The main story says newly qualified teachers are leaving the profession because of a lack of jobs and a “toxic” combination of poor pupil behaviour, heavy workloads and low pay.A “windfarm invasion” is the top story in the Scottish Daily Mail which says Scotland could see up to 19,000 new wind turbines after the SNP “relaxed” planning rules to meet targets on renewable energy.The Daily Record leads with “five hours of agony” for a footballer who had to wait 90 minutes for an ambulance and more than five hours for a hospital bed after breaking his leg in two places during a match.The National promotes a call to arms for supporters of independence to gather for the Supreme Court “judgement day” on Wednesday.The Weekend Telegraph gives coverage to the floods, but the top story reports on a Dundee councillor saying ยฃ23m of proposed budget cuts will be discussed on Monday without enough time for โdemocratic scrutiny.โ Liberal Democrat Fraser Macpherson says more than 500 pages of documents were dumped on councillors last week before a briefing on Wednesday and that the way the situation has been handled is โno way to run a council.โThe P&J leads with a story about a family having to sell their home to fund treatment for their paralysed daughter because it is not available on the NHS.The Glasgow Times headline “Man murdered pal after confrontation about midget jibe” leads a story from the Glasgow courts.The Scottish Sun leads with a story about the husband of I’m A Celebrity winner Jacqueline Jossa.And the Evening Express splashes with the news that the world-famous Tall Ships event is to return to Aberdeen. The city previously hosted the prestigious event back in 1991 and 1997.
Editor says โฆSterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceHistoryDesk – When the medieval kings of Scotland were crowned, they sat, according to custom, upon an important stone โ a stone heavy with history and tradition, but with its true origins lost to time ……..Watch Stuff the British Stole on ABC iview and listen to ABC RN’s Stuff the British Stole podcast on the ABC listen app.
The Stone of Destiny was a symbol of Scottish kingship โ so whoever had custody of it mattered.(ABC TV/Wildbear Entertainment. Animation by Mean Machine)none
It’s a big block of sandstone, about the size and shape of a pillow. Some said it was Jacob’s pillow, mentioned in the first book of the Bible, and that it had come from ancient Israel.
Whatever the kings of Scotland believed, it’s unlikely they could ever imagine the Stone of Destiny, as it’s known, being dragged on a student’s coat through an abbey in post-war London, heading for the boot of a Ford Anglia.
But that’s what happened to this relic when a group of young Scots attempted a brazen heist in the spiritual heart of the British empire.
The stone was inside Westminster Abbey, under the Coronation Chair.(ABC TV/Wildbear Entertainment. Animation by Mean Machine)none
It was the early hours of Christmas Day, 1950.
In the laneway outside Westminster Abbey, not far from the Houses of Parliament, Kay Matheson sat in the car, waiting for the stone to emerge so she could drive it away and repatriate it to Scotland.
Inside, Ian Hamilton, Alan Stuart and Gavin Vernon pulled the stone towards the door, using the iron rings on each end to heave it along.
It weighed about 150 kilograms, so it was a challenge to shift, even for three men in their 20s.
Then Ian pulled one ring too strongly, and a quarter of the stone broke away from the rest.A quarter of the Stone of Destiny broke off as the men tried to lift it. (ABC TV/Wildbear Entertainment. Animation by Mean Machine)none
The Stone of Destiny wasn’t the first thing to have suffered damage that Christmas morning.
Earlier, the trio had splintered the wood of the Coronation Chair โ the ancient throne built to house the stone after Edward I, dubbed the “Hammer of the Scots”, brought it back to London in triumph more than 600 years before.Ian Hamilton was a Glasgow University law student when he hatched the plan to steal the stone.(Getty Images/Keystone/Hulton Archive)none
The last time this medieval chair had been used was on King George VI’s coronation day, in 1937.
But the splintered chair was of less importance to the young men than the broken stone, which, now in two pieces, would be easier to steal.
Ian took the smaller piece with both hands, running out of the abbey, across a yard and into the laneway.
He rolled it into the back seat of the Anglia and went back to help the others with the larger part. As they dragged it towards the yard, Ian heard the car start up.
Kay was moving the vehicle into the open, where anyone might be able to see. Ian ran to tell her to get back into hiding. But it was too late. She had been seen.
He got into the car and draped a spare coat over the fragment of the stone in the back seat. Then the pair embraced โ until they heard a policeman’s voice next to the car.Kay Matheson waited in the car for the others to return with the stone. (ABC TV/Wildbear Entertainment. Animation by Mean Machine)none
How did this stone end up in Westminster Abbey?
The story of how the Stone of Destiny got to London begins in 1286, amid the mud and gore of a medieval war.
For hundreds of years before that, Scotland had its own monarchy, separate to that of England. Each ruled over an independent kingdom.
For generations, each Scottish king was crowned atop the Stone of Destiny. It was also called the Stone of Scone, as the coronation took place in the historic capital of Scone in central Scotland.Historically, the kings of Scotland were crowned at Scone Palace in central Scotland. (Getty Images: Universal Images Group)none
In 1286, however, there was a crisis. The Scottish king Alexander III died without an obvious heir.
Scottish nobles turned to the King of England, Edward I, to select a ruler, and Edward picked a man who he assumed would do his bidding: John Balliol.
But things did not work out the way Edward had planned.
After becoming king of Scotland in 1292, Balliol soon lost the support of the Scottish nobles, who deposed him. They then set up a council to rule in his place and signed a treaty with France.
Edward blamed Balliol for the mess. He invaded Scotland and captured his former ally, taking him prisoner in the Tower of London.The English King Edward invaded Scotland and took the Stone of Destiny as part of his conquest. (ABC TV/Wildbear Entertainment. Animation by Mean Machine)none
Then, after defeating the Scots at the Battle of Dunbar and sacking the border town of Berwick, Edward took the Stone of Destiny to London in a show of power.
The Coronation Chair was built around it, in an act that medieval historian Lucy Dean describes as a symbol of dominance.
“That’s supposed to be one of the symbols of Scottish kingship, and it’s your throne as the king of England,” she says.
“If you sit on that in your coronation, it’s essentially you sitting on the Scots.
“If you’re thinking about the power dynamics that Edward’s trying to communicate with where he puts the stone โ he’s king of that land because he’s able to sit on that throne.”
Rulers of England sat on the stone at Westminster Abbey for the next 600 years: from the coronation of Edward’s son, Edward II, through to the 20th century.King George VI โ the father of Queen Elizabeth II โ sat on the Stone of Destiny for his coronation in 1937.(Getty Images)none
The Stone of Destiny’s story is different from those of other objects stolen(and sometimes repatriated) during the British Empire’s colonial conquests.
But Dr Dean says it’s more than just an interesting historical relic.
Acknowledging the story of the stone, she says, is about sharing an understanding of identity and the past.
“Just because [Scotland] ended up in a union with another country, doesn’t mean that its separate existence should be forgotten about,” she says.
By 1950, the stone’s presence in Westminster Abbey was something of a sore point for many Scots, particularly those longing for independence one day.
Ian and Kay counted themselves in this group, and they had suddenly found themselves with part of the stone in the back seat of their car.
Time to escape the police
The policeman began to question the pair, wanting to know what they were doing on private property outside Westminster Abbey at five o’clock on Christmas morning.
Ian and Kay’s story was that they were on holidays, without a hotel to stay in. The constable told them to move on.The young Scots outsmarted the police and smuggled the stone out of the abbey.(ABC TV/Wild Bear Entertainment. Animation by Mean Machine)none
Alan and Gavin crept out of the abbey unseen, but their mission wasn’t over. The men still had to get to their other car from a nearby car park, come back and pick up the larger piece of the stone.
At the car park, they realised the car keys were still at Westminster Abbey. Ian had put them into the pocket of his coat โ the coat they used to drag the stone across the floor.
Alan and Gavin decided the best idea was to clear off.
Ian, who couldn’t find his friends in the carpark or the abbey, realised it was up to him to get the keys, then get the car, then get the stone.
Every single step of the plan went wrong.
And yet, as Christmas Day dawned, the Scottish students had the stone.
Part of a United Kingdom, but in need of a shake
Edward I may have hoped to crush the Scottish spirit when he took the Stone of Destiny from Scone, but it wasn’t that simple.
The First War of Independence ended with Scottish victory, as did the second.
Scotland kept its own monarchs until the Scottish King James VI inherited the English throne for the House of Stuart in 1603, following the death of his cousin Queen Elizabeth I.
James unified the two thrones, becoming James I of England.
One hundred years later, it was the Stuart Queen Anne who oversaw the Treaty of Union that created the United Kingdom.
The road to Scottish independence
1296-1328: First War of Independence
1332-1357: Second War of Independence
1603: Union of the Crowns. Accession of James VI, King of Scots, to the thrones of England and Ireland
1707: The Treaty of Union creates the United Kingdom of Great Britain
1715: The first Jacobiterebellion. British forces crush an attempt by Scottish supporters of the exiled House of Stuart to regain the throne
1745-46: The second Jacobite uprising aimed at putting “Bonnie Prince Charlie” Stuart on the British throne ends in defeat at the battle of Culloden
1934: Scottish National Party (SNP) is founded
1945: SNP gains first seat in parliament at Westminster
By the time the students hatched their plan in 1950, England and Scotland had long been united.
But five years after the end of World War II, Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, was still rebuilding. Its docks had been destroyed by German bombs and there was widespread poverty.
Years later, Ian Hamilton said his memory of growing up in Glasgow was that people weren’t proud to be Scottish.
“They needed a shake, and awakening,” he says.
With the Stone of Destiny in Scottish hands โฆ now what?
That awakening would come when the world discovered what the four young Scots had done.
But first, they needed to get the stone home.
As their cars sped out of the city, the abbey staff noticed the damage to the Coronation Chair and called police.
By the end of Boxing Day, authorities did something that hadn’t been done in 400 years: shut the border between Scotland and England.
But the students knew the border was being watched. So instead of going north to Scotland, they went south, hiding the stone in an open field.
The English authorities were furious.
Ian, Kay, Gavin and Alex lay low.The students found a clever spot to hide the stone.(ABC TV/Wildbear Entertainment. Animation by Mean Machine)none
Two weeks later, they retrieved the stone from the field and drove it north, back home.
They got a stonemason to join the two pieces back together and took it to the Abbey of Arbroath, where they turned the stone over to the authorities.
The four were interviewed by police but never prosecuted.
As Ian said later, a prosecution would have sparked rebellion. To the Scottish people, he and his co-conspirators were heroes.
“I’ve never seen anything like it since,” Ian says. “They were cheering in the street, shaking hands with strangers. It was momentous.
“I think it would be true to say it became a different country after that.”A renewed push for Scottish independence came in the months after the Stone of Destiny’s seizure.(Getty Images/Keystone Features: Chris Ware)none
In England, it was a different story. Ian gleefully remembers how he and his accomplices were called “vulgar vandals” in the House of Commons.
The stone was returned to London and stayed there for the next 40 years. When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, she, like so many kings and queens before her, sat atop the Stone of Destiny.
The stone comes north again
But in 1996, Ian got his wish: the stone came back to Scotland.
This time, the stone’s trip north was different. Crowds turned out to see it on display in Edinburgh, in the back of a Range Rover, flanked by Royal Archers as it travelled up the Royal Mile.
Its new home was Edinburgh Castle, perched high on a crag above Scotland’s capital.The Stone of Destiny is now housed at Edinburgh Castle, in Scotland’s capital.(Getty Images/PA Images: Chris Bacon)none
The plan is for it to go back to England temporarily for the coronation of King Charles III in 2023 โ though not everyone in Scotland will appreciate that.
Scottish tour guide and comedian Bruce Fummey says it will likely prompt a messy debate in Scotland.
And that’s because, despite all that’s happened in the centuries since the stone was first stolen, this story persists in the Scottish consciousness.
“The fact that it [will be] in London, under their throne, whereas it should be here โ I think that sense of grieving makes [the story] persist,” Fummey says.
“There’s been people that have kept alive this idea of Scotland being its own place and being a nation in and of itself.”
And he says the undercurrent of the stone as a symbol of Scottish independence has existed for a long time.
From the stone’s heist in 1950, right up until today, Scottish independence has never been far from the political agenda.
A vote on devolution in the 1970s failed to win enough support. But in the 90s, Scots voted to set up their own parliament, with tax-raising powers. Now, many Scottish nationalists are pushing for total independence.
In 2014, a popular vote on the question was defeated, with about 55 per cent of Scots voting to remain in the UK.
But that was before Brexit and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants a fresh independence referendum next year. She hopes that this time, the answer will be “yes”.
A love token becomes a family heirloom
There’s a final twist to this tale.Ian Hamilton had a tiny piece of the Stone of Destiny made into a brooch for his wife. (ABC TV/Wildbear Entertainment)none
A small piece of the Stone of Destiny broke off during the operation at Westminster Abbey โ and Ian’s son, Jamie Hamilton, still has it.
“My father had the presence of mind to trouser it and got it set in a brooch, and gave the brooch to my mother,” Jamie says.
“I guess it’s a love token. [The note] says: ‘Sheila, from Ian, with best wishes for the years of wisdom.'”
For Jamie, it’s not something he really owns; he thinks of it as something he’s keeping safe, to be passed on to future generations.Hopes for Scottish independence are still strong within the Hamilton family, including Jamie, his son Felix and Ian.(ABC TV/Wildbear Entertainment)none
In October, a few months after speaking to the ABC, Ian Hamilton died at the age of 97.
Big hopes for Scotland live on in his family โ in particular for son Jamie and grandson Felix.
“I would love Felix to be raised in a country which is ethnically diverse, open, friendly, wealthy, positive, contributing and free, of course,” Jamie says.
“And I’d hope that would remain for the future, for generations to come.”
Editor says โฆSterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
#AceDailyNews says here’s todays Scotland’s Headlines: Its all about NHS ‘meltdown’ and call for tax hikes as Scots Westminster Leader Blackford says he would back ‘ Tax Rises ‘ as Chancellor Hunt is rumoured to plan a ‘ Tax Grab From Better Off ‘ but WHO does he call Better Off – Rich – Middle Class Or ? Kindness & Love XX says ๐๐’s for Guidance Lord Thy God Amen
The SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, is backing tax rises to help plug gaps in the Scotland’s budget. The MP tells Scotland on Sunday he believes the public would accept increased rates for higher earners and energy giants to help cover “appropriate” spending on public services. It comes after acting finance secretary John Swinney announced more than ยฃ1bn in cuts to the budget.The Sunday Telegraph says UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is in talks about halving pension reliefs for millions of higher rate taxpayers. According to the paper, “middle-class workers face paying up to ยฃ10bn more in income tax” – a “drastic” reduction on the relief they currently enjoy on their pensions contributions.Among the services calling for increased funding are Police Scotland, Scottish Sunday Express reports. It says the force has fewer than 1,000 body-worn video cameras – well short of a stated 11,000 target.The Herald on Sunday leads with a special report on problems with Scotland’s NHS, including health boards missing accident and emergency waiting times targets. The paper also says staff shortages may have contributed to two deaths in at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.Nicola Sturgeon is being urged to provide global leadership at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt, The Sunday National reports. The first minister will join world leaders at the conference after it began this weekend.An investigation into a global hacking network that targets VIPs is the lead story for the Sunday Times. Private investigators linked to the City of London are using an India-based computer gang to target British businesses, government officials and journalists, the paper reports.Sunday Mail reports teachers at a West Dunbartonshire high school have been told not to tell parents if their children are identifying as a different gender. The paper says local authorities “actively conceal” information about some pupils due to Scottish government guidelines.Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s highly criticised comments about migrants risk inflaming far-right extremism, the Church of Scotland has warned. Reverend Karen Hendry told The Sunday Post she was “horrified” by the remarks.Alan Cameron, a convicted paedophile who was in prison for murdering fiance Heather Stacey, has died aged 68 at HMP Edinburgh, the Scottish Sun on Sunday reports.Prince Andrew was left distraught after being told by King Charles that he would never return to royal duties, the Scottish Mail on Sunday says. The disgraced royal has made few public appearances since settling a civil sexual assault case brought against him in the United States. He has repeatedly denied allegations made against him.
Editor says โฆSterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com
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