FORMER first minister Alex Salmond has blasted his successor's decision to go to the Supreme Court, describing it as a "bad gamble that hasn’t paid off."
Five justices threw out the Scottish Government's case and unanimously ruled that Holyrood cannot hold a second referendum on independence without Westminster’s consent.
It means Nicola Sturgeon's draft Referendum Bill cannot be introduced at Holyrood, as it is incompetent.
READ MORE: Supreme Court shatters Sturgeon’s plan for Indyref2 next year
In a statement, Mr Salmond said the First Minister should not have instructed the Lord Advocate to go to the court.
He said: "What should have happened was the Scottish Parliament should have passed the legislation for an independence referendum and forced the UK Government to be the ones that challenged it.
"Real Parliaments don’t ask for permission to implement their democratic mandate."
The Alba leader said the verdict was "hardly a surprise" but that it now "begs the question of what is the democratic route for Scots to determine their own future."
Mr Salmond continued: “Unionists should beware in their glee as the lesson of history is that you can postpone democracy but you cannot deny it.
“The Scottish Government now has the responsibility to find a way forward.
"They have led the national movement down a complete blind alley to the Supreme Court which astonishingly has gone as far as rejecting Scotland’s right of self determination.
"That’s what happens when you go to the wrong court with the wrong question.
“Today‘s decision must now be the spark that ignites a new popular movement like that of the Yes campaign of 2014.
"ALBA Party have led the way on parliamentary interventions in the UK Parliament and we call on others to join us.
"This must also be matched by a civic campaign of protest and action across Scotland and an Independence Convention to steer the campaign.
“Scotland’s future must be placed back in Scotland’s hands - not a parliament or a court in London.“
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