The issue of independence in Scotland has raised the crowd for many centuries. It has been advocated by many political movements that desire the secession of Scotland from the United Kingdom. I chose this topic as it has been hotly debated over the last few months in Scotland because of the election of the Scottish Parliament, on 3rd May, 2007. Indeed, the Scottish National Party (SNP) which is in favor of Independence has been very present in the election campaign and finally won it ahead of the Labor party which was governing for the last 40 years. This event has been precisely covered by the world media because of this particularity. The relationship between England and Scotland has always been very adversarial, and has been revealed through many wars and rebellions between those two countries, and today through a strong anti-English feeling from the Scots. The question of independence is far from new. Like the Irish, the Scots have a very strong identity. This allows them to survive as a particular folk. But whereas the Irish independence was lead with tears and fights, this one seems to happen with an accurate conscience of the risks and the benefits of it. Seen from outside, the main question is why the question of independence arises now, while Scotland is profiting widely from the United Kingdom through subsidies, and political, military and business power of this union? The reasons could of course be found in history. Scotland has remained a society with a proper culture, though they united with England by the Act of Union. Events show how the relationships between these two countries have been built, either in co-operation or in exploitation. This has lead to the present conditions. Why has the situation of Scotland, which was accepted for so many years now become unbearable for a large part of the population? Is it because Scotland is getting organized, on the political and economic levels? It will have to be discussed through the different organizations and people who take charge of the ideology of a free Scottish land. Considering that a country like Montenegro acceded to independence, a Scottish nation seems to be a reasonable project. The last part will show how Scottish independents consider the future of a proper nation. The feasibility of the actual implementation of independence will thus be assessed thanks to an evaluation by areas and a comparison with other small European countries.
[...] Some say that the Union time is devolved. The issue of Scottish independence has widely come back in the general population discussions and is supported by more and more individuals, either represented by political parties, or by associations, all gathered around their culture and identity. • Relationship between English and Scots Historically, relationship between and English people is known to be more than bustling. This is obviously due to the many wars that opposed them throughout the time. Today, Scots are blaming English people for their supremacy on British affairs, and English people would like to stop inequalities and injustice they are facing, mainly because of the creation of the Scottish Parliament. [...]
[...] They could defend better their interests, which are not always the same as UK. Concerning the fishing policy, having a Scottish voice in the European parliament would be important to represent the population and to discuss directly about quotas, areas of fishing etc. Recognition of Scotland by the international community has thus to lean first upon the European Union, by taking the same path as Ireland. Assessment of the feasibility of Scottish independence As soon as independence of a country is brought out, in a democratic context, the opinion has to be heard. [...]
[...] That will overcome after an eventual independence. This movement is obviously supported by the major political parties which are in favour of Scottish independence, as for example the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Socialist Party. However, other individuals and groups, including the Celtic League, have given their support. Their action is mainly done through demonstrations and public petitions. • Tourist area Together with politicians and associations, tourism is an important actor on the way to independence on two levels. [...]
[...] Those competencies concern areas such as agriculture, economic development, environment, the police, sport and culture, etc; which allow a control over most of the domestic policies. However, still a lot of competencies remain debated by the Parliament in Westminster, as for example: audiovisual, energy, national defence and security, medicines, foreign and European politic, fiscal concerns, economic and monetary system, etc. Even if Scottish people achieved the devolution of the Parliament and gained power over many affairs, nationalists remain unsatisfied and ask for a complete independence. [...]
[...] This comes through being a European member. They could this way have a proper voice in discussions and decision-making in the European Parliament (e.g. about fishing and agriculture). • Associations There are also many associations which have been created for last few years, at the general population level. The most famous one is ‘Independence First'. It gathers various supporters of a referendum on Scottish independence and the creation of a sovereign state of Scotland. This organisation unites people from many different political backgrounds, even supporters from the Labour Party which is officially opposed to independence. [...]
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