Introduction
The independence of Scotland, a current affair and highly interesting topic. In this paper I will not be discussing the current political arrangements between Scotland and England nor will I be discussing what can be expected of the true separation of Scotland from the U.K. in the future. In this paper I will research what led up to the citizens of Scotland to feel so culturally different from the rest of the U.K. Why they do not want to be a completely united country anymore. I will look at the different aspects that define a country and its citizens. Look into the political system, language, border lines, history and traditions from both Scotland and England. After looking into this matter I will decide whether I would vote for or against the independence of Scotland and why.
History of Scotland
First of all I want to look into the history of Scotland, after all a history is what defines a country, it’s what citizens can be proud of, what they can preach about to other nations. The first written records of Scottish history originated when
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However, the kingdoms of Scotland where overthrown by the well known and feared Vikings. They raided entire villages and slaughtered the inhabitants without mercy. This was the trigger for the Picts and Scoti to join forces and get rid of a common enemy. In the 9th century they succeeded and the Kingdom of Scotland was founded. This did not mean the battle for power in Scotland was over, by the 13th century, Alexander II and his son Alexander III wanted to gain possession of the former Norwegian territories in west-Scotland. In response to this claim, the Norwegian king, Hakon, sent a massive fleet to Scotland to defend his lands. In September 1263, the battle was held in
Taub’s argument against the probable Scottish independence is based on beliefs that independence would expose the country to big, unnecessary risks. These risks would emanate from things the country would lose from the process of cessation from the United Kingdom and those attributed to being independent upon the completion of the cessation. While Taub’s article provides significant insights on the cons of Scottish independence, an in-depth analysis shows that it is biased and not objective. Article Summary
Overall it can be seen as a success for parts of England as they were entitled to independence. In a 1997 poll, people in Scotland were asked whether they felt they were Scottish or British. They answered as followed that 63% indicated that they felt that they were Scottish or more Scottish than British. This would fit in with the Marshall model – those who felt that they were Scots would wish for their own Parliament. So it accomplished the wishes of the Scots making it a success for the Scottish population.
Currently Scotland has its own parliament in Edinburgh which can deal with chosen devolved issues from Westminster. Originating mainly from the YES YES campaign in 1999 headed by the Labour Government. This means that Scotland has control over
On September 18th, 2014 the people of Scotland voted to stay within the United Kingdom by a 55.5% vote of the 84.6% turnout (Scotland’s Future, 2013). Although a large turnout by voting standards, the marginal lead of the winning vote was slim. A main argument for Scottish independence was to keep tax, economic, and social security decisions in the hands of the people whom it affected, the Scottish people themselves; rather than the Westminster Government who determined those factors for the whole of the United Kingdom (Scotland’s Future, 2014). If Scotland was to become independent from the United Kingdom, it would be proposed that they would become a part of the European Union as its own country, a parliament of Scottish people would make
Scottish devolution was defeated in the referendum and the two biggest parties campaigned for “No”. The SNP considered the results as a victory for devolution but was against the referendum as they were campaigning about the complete independence.
Within the United Kingdom, a recurring issue has been raised regarding the political position of Scotland and how the Scottish Parliament could better govern the country. To establish whether the quality of life could be improved for the Scottish people, key events, devolution, and the Scottish Parliament must be evaluated and analysed. The argument for greater power in decision making and the ability to implement change for the citizens of Scotland, has been central to Scottish politics for some time.
The Act of Union of 1707 brought together the two independent nations of Scotland and England to create a new United Kingdom. This new Kingdom in the opinion of the English ensured political and military stability on the Island of Great Britain, neutralizing the Scottish MP’s by absorbing them into the Westminster system.
“Parliamentary sovereignty is no longer, if it ever was, absolute” (Lord Hope). Discuss with reference to at least three challenges to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. Parliamentary sovereignty is the concept that Parliament has the power to repeal, amend or create any law it wishes and therefore no body in the UK can challenge its legal validity. There are many people who would argue that this is a key principle to the UK Constitution, on the other hand, there are those who strongly believe that this idea is one of the past, and that the idea of the UK Parliament being sovereign is false. One of these people is Lord Hope, who said “Parliamentary sovereignty is no longer, if it ever was, absolute”. During the last 50 years there have been a variety of developments that have proved to be a challenge for the legitimacy of parliamentary sovereignty, and the ones which will be examined in this essay are: the devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament; The United Kingdom’s entry into the European Union in 1973; and finally the power of judicial review. Starting with the devolution of powers, these challenges will all be evaluated when discussing whether or not the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty applies to the United Kingdom. Westminster’s sovereignty has been gradually diminishing over time as varying amounts of power have been devolved to Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In this essay, the devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament will be
In this essay I will discuss both sides of the referendum of Scotland and firstly short about the current situation, and then finish it off with a conclusion. The issue of the Scottish independence has been highly discussed for a couple of years. The reason for that are after the Scottish national party won the election in 2011, their main goal has been to make Scotland independent. Now it is up to the Scots to choose whether they want to separate themselves from the United Kingdom or if they want to remain a part of it. This decision could change Scotland for eternity and entirely.
Many Scottish people have over the centuries been themselves victim of stereotyping and prejudice by the English neighbours. Discrimination. This is why they are unhappy about it. But to be on the receiving end of something that is historical and for which I have no responsibility for his painful and irksome and makes me feel somehow invisible and unvalued as a person with individuality and a contribution to make to the present moment.
In the early middle ages, Scotland was an independent state until 1707. In 1603, King James VI ruled both England and Scotland, then he showed his intension to unite the two states and they were united which is called Anglo Scottish Union. Scotland’s relations with England,
I will discuss the history and ground level information of Scotland and Wales, representing how this trifling nation has molded the world and others who live in it. I will also discuss important material about the statistics of the country and the distinction between the ethnocentrism in British and American ways of life. I will also discuss how the United States and Scotland both partake in many cultural ideas and traditions, But like every culture and nation they are different and share plenty of alterations.
The Parliament of the United Kingdom and the Scottish Parliament are the main sources of law in Scotland. However, the Scotland Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 1998 are two pieces of legislation, produced by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which have had a significant impact on the development of the law in Scotland. They have made important changes to how law is made in Scotland and how the Scottish legal system works. This essay aims to examine what it is these Acts are intended to do, and discuss the impact they have had on the development of law in Scotland. Until the Acts of Union 1707, which formed the Parliament of Great Britain (the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801), Scotland had a separate Parliament which was able
Scottish Independence - Good or Bad Scotland is at a turning point. The 300-year old Union is some say no longer fit for purpose. Some say it was never designed for the 21st century world and it is well past it's sell by date and is holding Scotland back. The Scottish people voted to move forward, with a new, more Scottish approach from an SNP government. But many oppose these views saying that Scotland needs the rest of the UK and that the economic and social problems caused by independence would be catastrophic to the relationships between Scotland and the rest of the UK. In any case the government has published a white paper setting out a vision of independence and responsibility in the modern world. But is this idea beneficial to our country?
The origin of Devolution can be traced to Donald Campbell Dewar (21 August 1937 – 11 October 2000). He is generally referred to as the ‘architect of Devolution’ as well as the ‘advocate for Scottish devolution’. And as such, he was elected Scotland’s first First minister in the 1999 election. As