Sturgeon suffers setback

NICOLA Sturgeon was urged to drop her independence “obsession” yesterday after her battle to split the UK suffered a massive blow in the Supreme Court.

Five judges ruled unanimously that the Scottish Government could not stage a second breakaway referendum next year without Westminster’s consent.

After the verdict, SNP leader and First Minister Ms Sturgeon, right, said she respected the decision but would use the next general election, due no later than January 2025, as a “de facto referendum”.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the ruling had been “clear and definitive”.

He added: “The people of Scotland want us to be working on fixing the major challenges we collectively face. “Now is the time for politicians to work together and that’s what this government will do.” Downing Street said Mr Sunak wanted to avoid a repeat of the 2014 “once-in-a-generation” independence referendum, insisting its “No” result should be respected.

Former PM Theresa May told MPs yesterday’s ruling was an “opportunity” for the SNP to “put the people of Scotland first and not its obsession with breaking us apart”.

Scotland’s Tory leader Douglas Ross said: “Nicola Sturgeon insisted on taking this case to the Supreme Court at the cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Scottish taxpayer.

“The SNP must now get back to work, drop their referendum obsession and focus on what really matters to the people of Scotland.”

Ms Sturgeon said: “As of today, democracy is what is at stake.This is no longer about whether Scotland becomes independent, vital though that decision is. It is now more fundamental. It is now about whether or not we even have the basic democratic right to choose our own future.”

Supreme Court president Lord Reed said the Scottish Parliament had no power to legislate for a referendum because under the Scotland Act matters relating to the Union are reserved to Westminster.