Two days after the local elections in the United Kingdom, all eyes are on Scotland, where the separatists hope to win an absolute majority in the local parliament and at the same time advance the cause of a new self-determination referendum.
Read also: In Scotland, the spirit of independence revived
This “
Super Thursday
” of local elections in the United Kingdom, the results of which are gradually coming in, tests the popularity of Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, and the unity of the United Kingdom. The Scottish nationalists intend to obtain the biggest victory possible to force the head of the British government to accept a new consultation on the independence of Scotland.
In England, the results are so far positive for the Conservatives, who have gained ground and even conquered the Labor stronghold of Hartlepool (north-east), which had always voted Labor for almost 50 years.
Extending the push
of the 2019
“
Tories
” into the
Labor “
red wall
”, these regions of northern England affected by deindustrialisation and favorable to Brexit, this victory has consolidated the Prime Minister despite a series of scandals that have highlighted the very close links between power and private interests.
Scotland fundamentally divided
In Scotland, on the other hand, the Tories are far from being in a position of strength and the popular Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP separatists, should remain prime minister. His party is heading for a fourth consecutive term, after consolidating its footing and stealing two key constituencies from the Conservatives and one from Labor. According to the results of 56 constituencies given early Saturday afternoon, the SNP was winning in 47 of them.
The party is not certain, however, of reaching its goal of 65 out of 129 seats in the local Holyrood parliament, after failing to conquer two other constituencies that were in its sights.
John Curtice, election expert, told the BBC that it was now unlikely but not impossible that the SNP would achieve an absolute majority.
For him, these partial results show that "
Scotland is fundamentally divided on the question of its constitutional status
".
"
Mountain to climb
"
For Scottish Deputy Prime Minister John Swinney, getting an absolute majority "
has always been a very, very difficult mountain for us to climb
," he told the BBC on Saturday. He predicted, however, that there would be a majority of elected MPs "
who are committed to holding an independence referendum on the future of Scotland
", recalling that this is also on the Greens' program.
Boris Johnson, who has the last word on whether or not to authorize this referendum, firmly opposes it, believing that such a consultation can only occur "
once in a generation
".
In the 2014 referendum, 55% of voters rejected independence.
"
A referendum in the current context is irresponsible and reckless,
" Boris Johnson told
The Telegraph
daily
.
Nicola Sturgeon is playing it safe, committing to organize a referendum “in due
time
”, once the health crisis has been overcome.
Read the file: Scotland: the
Figaro
travel guide
For its part, Labor is in disarray after the scathing defeat of Hartlepool which left party leader Keir Starmer "
bitterly disappointed
". Called to questioning, he promised that he would do "
everything possible
" to regain the confidence of voters, without announcing specific measures. Labor can boast very good results in Wales where the Welsh Labor Party obtains 30 of the 60 seats in the local parliament, against 16 for the Conservatives, which allows it to remain in power.
In the north of England, Labor Joanne Anderson, 47, becomes the first black woman to be elected mayor of Liverpool. In London, Labor Sadiq Khan, who in 2016 became the first Muslim mayor of a large western capital, is favored for a second term against his main opponent, the conservative Shaun Bailey, but the results expected this Saturday evening are announced. tighter than expected.
