Scotland’s latest push for independence will raise renewed questions about the United Kingdom’s long-term territorial integrity, even if Edinburgh is unlikely to secede in the foreseeable future due to legal and political constraints. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set out plans for a new independence referendum for Scotland in a June 28 address to the Scottish parliament. According to Sturgeon, the vote should take place on Oct. 19, 2023, and be “consultative,” considering that the U.K. government is unlikely to authorize a legally-binding referendum as it did in 2014. Sturgeon, who stressed that any referendum would need to be lawful, announced that the Lord Advocate, Scotland’s top law officer, will refer a referendum bill to the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court so that it could rule on the legality of holding a non-binding referendum without London’s approval. Should the court decide that it is not within her government’s authority to hold...
