‘Voice of the Scottish people will not be silenced’, SNP leader tells rally

The “voice of the Scottish people” will not be silenced, Nicola Sturgeon has told independence supporters after the UK’S highest court ruled Holyrood could not legislate for a referendum.

The Supreme Court announced a unanimous decision yesterday stating the Scottishparliament did not have the necessary powers to hold a vote on separation.

But the First Minister struck an upbeat tone during a rally outside the parliament last night, as she said the UK was "not a voluntary partnership of nations". "Any partnership in any walk of life that requires one party to seek the consent of another to choose its own future is not voluntary – it is not a partnership at all," she said.

"And while today's ruling may create temporary relief on the part of unionist politicians and parties, they should know the hardest questions that have been posed today are questions for them."

The first minister added :" the Westminster establishment may think they can block a referendum, but let me be clear... no establishment, westminster or otherwise, will ever silence the voice of the scottish people ."

The SNP leader added that "our job as Scotland's peaceful, civic, inclusive, inter nationalist independence movement is the same today as it was yesterday".

She ended her speech, telling the hundreds gathered outside Holyrood: "Let's get to it, my friends, let's win our independence and build the Scotland we know is possible."

SNP MP Tommy Sheppard told the crowd they were protesting to "assert and defend" theirrighttoself-determination "and to say we will not submit, we will not give up, we will not give up our campaign for our independence".