Does Scotland have a Constitution?

This Constitution is the supreme and fundamental law of Scotland which holds that the founding principles of Scotland are based on Constitutional Democracy. The people are the supreme source of authority of the government which derives the right to govern from their consent.

Can foreigners vote in Scotland?

To qualify to be registered to vote you must be resident or deemed resident in the registration area and a British, Irish, European Union, Commonwealth or Foreign National citizen with the legal right to remain in the UK.

Is a Scottish independence referendum legally binding under UK law?

As the constitution is a ‘reserved’ matter under the Scotland Act 1998, for a future referendum on Scottish independence to be binding under UK law, it would need to receive the consent of the British Parliament to take place. A referendum would not be legally binding under UK law if the consent of the UK Parliament is not given.

Will there be a second Scottish referendum in 2016?

The elections to the Scottish Parliament took place on 5 May 2016, seven weeks before the holding of the EU Referendum. In their manifesto for the 2016 Scottish elections, the SNP stipulated conditions under which they would seek a second independence referendum:

Can Scotland change its position within the United Kingdom?

“Any changes to Scotland’s position within the United Kingdom will require negotiation with the UK government and legislation in the UK and Scottish parliaments.”. It’s the same as for the EU referendum: the leave vote is an instruction to politicians, who would then have to pass the laws necessary to actually make it happen.

What happens if a referendum is held without parliament’s agreement?

But if one were held without the UK parliament’s agreement, it may not feel the same political obligation to pass the laws necessary to actually implement the result. As we saw last week, the UK parliament felt obliged to act upon an EU referendum vote most members reportedly disagreed with — even though it could have refused in legal theory.