By PAN PYLAS, Associated Press
LONDON (AP) – The Scottish National Party and the Scottish Greens agreed on a power-sharing agreement on Friday that does not do justice to a coalition government, but could pave the way for another referendum on Scotland’s independence from Great Britain in the coming years .
The two parties, which have been in negotiations since May after the SNP missed a seat among the general majority in the Scottish elections, will consolidate the independence majority in the decentralized Edinburgh parliament over the next five years.
The SNP has been in power since 2007 and its chairwoman Nicola Sturgeon has been Scotland’s first female minister since the end of 2014 after the independence vote that was lost at the beginning of the year.
“The publication of this agreement today undoubtedly marks a historic moment,” she said. “Working together to build a greener, fairer and more independent Scotland is groundbreaking.”
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Although the Scottish Parliament has a number of powers, including health, education and energy, many economic and security matters remain within the remit of the UK Government in London.
Under the terms of the deal, two Green lawmakers will be nominated as ministers – the first time the party has had such power in the UK. In return, the Green legislature will support the Sturgeon government in votes of confidence as well as in the annual budget.
Scottish Greens co-chair Patrick Harvie said recovery from the coronavirus pandemic requires a change in policy.
“We need to build a more just, compassionate country and do everything in our power to tackle the climatic and natural emergencies and enable a just transition for all of Scotland,” he said.
The deal is likely to create the basis for a confrontation with the British government over Scottish independence. Sturgeon reiterated her view that she would like to hold another referendum on this issue in the first half of this Parliament – essentially before the end of 2024 – provided the pandemic is over.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the leader of the Conservative Party, would have final authority over whether or not to allow another referendum on Scottish independence. Johnson appears keen to oppose any further vote, creating the possibility of renewed tension between his administration and the decentralized government of Sturgeon.
He has argued time and again that the question was settled in a referendum in September 2014 when 55% of Scottish voters were in favor of staying in the UK. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 52% of Britons voted to leave the EU, while 62% of Scots voted to stay.
Sturgeon said it would be wrong for Johnson to stand in the way of a referendum and that timing was a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
There are growing rumors that the whole matter could go to court, but Sturgeon has said that any attempt by the British government to thwart the democratic will of Scotland would only fuel a desire for independence.
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