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UK Supreme Court puts brakes on Scottish independence vote

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The semi-autonomous government of Scotland cannot hold a vote on independence from Britain without the consent of the government in London, the UK Supreme Court decided on Wednesday.

The top court’s President Lord Reed said its five judges had unanimously ruled that the Scottish parliament “does not have the power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence.”

The justices agreed with a UK government lawyer, who argued that the power to hold a referendum rests with the British Parliament in London because the issue is “of critical importance to the UK as a whole,” not only Scotland.

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