When Westminster Says No?

If Westminster says *no* to a Scottish independence referendum, several things follow, legally, politically, and strategically. If Scotland cannot legally hold a binding referendum, it can make that refusal politically untenable. Legally, Westminster can block it; politically, it risks fuelling the independence movement further turning the fight from a legal battle into one over democratic legitimacy. *no* doesnt end the question. The next stage would be **a battle of legitimacy** Westminster’s legal authority versus Holyrood’s democratic mandate.