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58-598: The agenda of the Foundation is to promote and develop a form of socialism and social democracy in line with the views and perspective of Jimmy Reid. However, the Foundation is independent of any of the political parties that Reid was a member or supporter of, namely, the Communist, Labour and SNP parties. The Foundation's highest-profile project, started in 2013, is the Common Weal , a blueprint for an independent Scotland following

116-561: A first past the post system. 56 members (43 pc) are elected in eight different electoral regions by the additional member system . Members serve for a four-year term. The monarch appoints one Member of the Scottish Parliament , on the nomination of the Parliament, to be First Minister , with the convention being that the leader of the party with the largest number of seats is appointed First Minister, although any member who can command

174-580: A devolved Scottish Parliament being established on 1 July 1999. The pro-independence Scottish National Party first became the governing party of the devolved parliament in 2007, and it won an outright majority of seats at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election . This led to an agreement between the Scottish and UK governments to hold the 2014 Scottish independence referendum . Voters were asked: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" 44.7 percent of voters answered "Yes" and 55.3 percent answered "No", with

232-620: A gap of 292 years. Donald Dewar of the Labour Party subsequently became the First Minister of Scotland , while the Scottish National Party became the main opposition party. The egalitarian song " A Man's A Man for A' That ", by Robert Burns , was performed at the opening ceremony. The Scottish Parliament is a unicameral legislature comprising 129 members . 73 members (57 pc) represent individual constituencies and are elected on

290-553: A leading government economist, to report on the viability of an independent Scotland. He concluded that oil would have given an independent Scotland one of the strongest currencies in Europe. The report went on to say that officials advised government ministers on how to take "the wind out of the SNP sails". A common myth regarding the report is that when handed over to the incoming Labour government and classified as secret because of Labour fears over

348-631: A new referendum on Scottish independence, subject to confirmation of its legality and constitutionality . In November 2022 the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to legislate for a second referendum. Scotland emerged as an independent polity during the Early Middle Ages with some historians dating its foundation from the reign of Kenneth MacAlpin in 843. The level of independence of

406-578: A record voter turnout of 85 percent. This resulted in Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom. A second referendum on independence has been proposed, particularly since the UK voted to leave the European Union in a June 2016 referendum and since pro-independence parties increased their majority in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election . In June 2022 Nicola Sturgeon proposed the date of 19 October 2023 for

464-572: A referendum be held on the issue. Although the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party both officially supported devolution , support was split in both parties. Labour was divided between those who favoured devolution and those who wanted to maintain a full central Westminster government. In the SNP, there was division between those who saw devolution as a stepping stone to independence and those who feared it might detract from that ultimate goal. The resignation of Harold Wilson from office in 1976 brought James Callaghan to power, but his small majority

522-469: A referendum offering independence as an option. Prime Minister Gordon Brown also publicly attacked the independence option. The three main parties opposed to independence instead formed a Commission on Scottish Devolution , chaired by Kenneth Calman . This reviewed devolution and considered all constitutional options apart from independence. In August 2009, the Scottish Government announced that

580-1075: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to the politics of Scotland is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a political organization is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Scottish independence Charles III William , Duke of Rothesay Swinney government The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP The Rt Hon John Swinney MSP Kate Forbes MSP Sixth session Alison Johnstone MSP Angela Constance MSP Dorothy Bain KC The Rt Hon Lord Carloway KC PC United Kingdom Parliament elections European Parliament elections Local elections Referendums Starmer ministry The Rt Hon Keir Starmer MP The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP Scottish independence ( Scottish Gaelic : Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba ; Scots : Scots unthirldom )

638-503: Is clear that the majority of people voting have voted No to the referendum question." The "Yes" vote received 45% (1,617,989) support—the winning total needed was 1,852,828. Results were compiled from 32 council areas, with Glasgow backing independence—voting 53.5% "Yes" to 46.5% "No" (turnout in the area was 75%)—and Edinburgh voting against independence by 61% to 39% (turnout in the area was 84%). Darling stated in his post-result speech, "The silent have spoken", while Salmond stated, "I accept

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696-490: Is the idea of Scotland regaining its independence and once again becoming a sovereign state , independent from the United Kingdom. The term Scottish independence refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. Scotland was an independent kingdom through the Middle Ages , and fought wars to maintain its independence from England . The two kingdoms were united in personal union in 1603 when

754-472: The 1997 general election on the slogan "72 hours to save the union". His party ultimately suffered the worst electoral defeat in 91 years. The Labour Party won the 1997 general election in a landslide, and Donald Dewar as Secretary of State for Scotland agreed to the proposals for a Scottish Parliament . A referendum was held in September and 74.3% of those who voted approved the devolution plan (44.87% of

812-637: The 2007 Scottish Parliament election , the Scottish National Party (SNP) pledged to hold an independence referendum by 2010. After winning the election, the SNP-controlled Scottish Government published a white paper entitled " Choosing Scotland's Future ", which outlined options for the future of Scotland, including independence. Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Liberal Democrats opposed

870-663: The Easter Rising and fought a War of Independence , Scotland did not resist central rule. There was, however, a persistent demand for Scottish home rule. The Scottish Office was relocated to St Andrew's House in Edinburgh during the 1930s. The Scottish Covenant was a petition to the UK Government asking for home rule. It was first proposed in 1930 by John MacCormick and formally written in 1949. The petition "was eventually signed by two million people" (the population of Scotland

928-698: The February 1974 general election , seven SNP MPs were elected. The general election resulted in a hung parliament, so Prime Minister Harold Wilson called a second election for October 1974 , when the SNP performed even better than in February, winning 11 seats and obtaining over 30% of the total vote in Scotland. In January 1974, the Conservative government had commissioned the McCrone report , written by Professor Gavin McCrone,

986-690: The First World War , the Liberal Government led by H. H. Asquith supported the concept of "Home Rule all round", whereby Scottish home rule would follow the Irish home rule proposed in the Government of Ireland Act 1914 . Asquith believed that there was an iniquity in that the component parts of the United Kingdom could come together to act together in common purposes, but those components could not deal with internal matters that did not require consent across

1044-562: The Kingdom of Ireland . Following the Irish War of Independence (1919–21) and the Anglo-Irish Treaty that ended the war, Ireland was partitioned into two states: Southern Ireland , which opted to become independent (and is now known as Republic of Ireland), and Northern Ireland , which – given its geographical extent which tended to ensure a Unionist majority – chose to remain within

1102-583: The Nordic model of social security . The blueprint was set to be discussed at the Scottish National Party 's annual conference in 2013, and was backed by figures such as Dennis Canavan and Jim Mather . The Common Weal was also discussed at Labour for Independence 's first conference in July 2013. In August 2013, the Jimmy Reid Foundation led calls for a memorial to be erected in honour of those who opposed

1160-493: The Referendum (Scotland) Bill, 2010 , which would detail the question and conduct of a possible referendum on the issue of independence, would be part of its legislative programme for 2009–10. The Bill was not expected to be passed, because of the SNP's status as a minority government and the opposition of all other major parties in Parliament. In September 2010, the Scottish Government announced that no referendum would occur before

1218-684: The Scottish Office were re-established to promote Scotland's interests and express its concerns to the UK Parliament. In 1886, however, Liberal Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone introduced the Irish Home Rule Bill . It was not regarded as an immediate constitutional priority however, particularly when the Irish Home Rule Bill was defeated in the House of Commons . Immediately before

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1276-461: The Tartan Tax , a power it did not exercise and which was later replaced by wider tax-varying powers. The Scottish Parliament can refer devolved matters back to Westminster to be considered as part of United Kingdom-wide legislation by passing a Legislative Consent Motion if United Kingdom-wide legislation is considered to be more appropriate for certain issues. The programmes of legislation enacted by

1334-616: The United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 to restrict the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. The primary purpose of the act is to constrain the capacity of the devolved institutions to use their regulatory autonomy. The legislation undermines the capability of the Scottish legislature to make different economic or social choices from those made in Westminster. In a January 2021 editorial concerning rising support for independence and its potential to break up

1392-494: The 1979 general election, while devolution was opposed by the Conservative governments led by Margaret Thatcher and John Major . Supporters of Scottish independence continued to hold mixed views on the Home Rule movement, which included many supporters of union who wanted devolution within the framework of the United Kingdom. Some saw it as a stepping stone to independence, while others wanted to go straight for independence. In

1450-421: The 2011 Scottish Parliament election. The SNP won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament at the 2011 Scottish election . First Minister Alex Salmond stated his desire to hold a referendum "in the second half of the parliament", which would place it in 2014 or 2015. In January 2012, the UK Government offered to provide the Scottish Parliament with the specific powers to hold a referendum, providing it

1508-652: The Conservative Party), Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg (Leader of the Liberal Democrats), and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband (Leader of the Labour Party). The BBC website announced the final result of the referendum at 06:24 on 19 September 2014: the "No" vote prevailed with 55% (2,001,926) of the votes from an overall voter turnout of 84.5%. Chief counting officer Mary Pitcaithly stated: "It

1566-477: The EU", and that a second referendum was "highly likely". However, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Theresa May said that "The prime minister and the government does not believe that there is a mandate for [a second referendum]. There was one only two years ago. There was an extremely high turnout and there was a resounding result in favour of Scotland remaining in the UK". At the 2019 United Kingdom general election ,

1624-399: The Foundation has concentrated on a smaller number of projects, attempting to gain more subsequent follow through on each of those. The Foundation's work is initiated and monitored by its Project Board consisting of representatives from a number of unions (PCS, UNISON, Unite) as well as progressive and radical academics and policy analysts. This article about an organisation in Scotland

1682-506: The Imperial unity that had united the then-prominent Scottish Unionist Party . The Unionist Party subsequently suffered a steady decline in support. The Scottish National Party (SNP) won their second-ever seat in the House of Commons in 1967, when Winnie Ewing was the unexpected winner of the 1967 Hamilton by-election . The seat was previously a safe Labour Party seat, and this victory brought

1740-541: The SNP to national prominence, leading to Edward Heath 's 1968 Declaration of Perth and the establishment of the Kilbrandon Commission . The discovery of North Sea oil off the east coast of Scotland in 1970 further invigorated the debate over Scottish independence. The SNP organised a hugely successful campaign entitled " It's Scotland's oil ", emphasising how the discovery of oil could benefit Scotland's struggling deindustrialising economy and its populace. At

1798-510: The SNP won 48 out of 59 Scottish seats. Sturgeon asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his consent to hold another referendum. However, Johnson declined her request. He said that Sturgeon and her predecessor Alex Salmond had promised that the 2014 referendum would be a "once in a generation" vote. Shortly before the UK left the European single market , the Boris Johnson regime sought through

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1856-533: The Scottish King James VI became James I of England, and the two kingdoms united politically into one kingdom called Great Britain in 1707 . This movement united the countries which ended the wars of independence and created relative peace. Political campaigns for Scottish self-government began in the 19th century, initially in the form of demands for home rule within the United Kingdom. Two referendums on devolution were held in 1979 and 1997 , with

1914-474: The Scottish Parliament since 1999 have seen a divergence in the provision of public services compared to the rest of the United Kingdom. For instance, the costs of a university education, and care services for the elderly are free at point of use in Scotland, while fees are paid in the rest of the UK. Scotland was the first country in the UK to ban smoking in enclosed public places in March 2006. In its manifesto for

1972-555: The Scottish kingdom was fought over by the Scottish kings and by the Norman and Angevin rulers of England who petitioned the Pope and other foreign rulers. A watershed in the Scottish kingdom's history was a succession crisis that erupted in 1290 when Edward I of England claimed the right of appointment to the Scottish throne. The Auld Alliance of Scotland and France against English interests

2030-484: The UK. This was not a nationalist philosophy, but instead Asquith was acting in the belief that federalism was the "true basis of union" and that centralising power in Westminster was a political blunder. A Scottish Home Rule bill was first presented to Parliament in 1913, but its progress was soon ended as Parliament focused on emergency measures necessitated by the First World War. Unlike Ireland, which rebelled in

2088-605: The United Kingdom. The "Home Rule" movement for a Scottish Assembly was first taken up in 1853 by the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights , a body close to the Conservative Party . A key element in this movement was the comparison with Ireland. The original movement broadened its political appeal and soon began to receive Liberal Party backing. In 1885, the post of Secretary for Scotland and

2146-432: The case for independence and the means through which Scotland might become an independent country. After a protracted period of negotiation, a public debate between Salmond and Better Together leader Alistair Darling was arranged. On the morning before the televised debate, a joint statement, pledging greater devolved powers to Scotland in the event of a "No" vote, was signed by Prime Minister David Cameron (Leader of

2204-527: The confidence of a majority of the chamber could conceivably be appointed First Minister. All other Ministers are appointed and dismissed by the First Minister, and together they make up the Scottish Government , the executive arm of government. The Scottish Parliament has legislative authority for all non- reserved matters relating to Scotland, and has a limited power to vary income tax, nicknamed

2262-466: The convention was unwilling to discuss Scottish independence as a constitutional option. Arguments against devolution and the Scottish Parliament, levelled mainly by the Conservative Party, were that the Parliament would create a "slippery slope" to Scottish independence and provide the pro-independence Scottish National Party with a route to government. Prime Minister John Major campaigned during

2320-455: The electorate). The Parliament of the United Kingdom subsequently approved the Scotland Act 1998 which created an elected Scottish Parliament with control over most domestic policy. In May 1999, Scotland held its first election for a devolved parliament, and in July 1999, the Scottish Parliament held session for the first time since the previous parliament had been adjourned in 1707, after

2378-567: The formal union of the two kingdoms in 1707, with the Treaty of Union and subsequent Acts of Union , to form the Kingdom of Great Britain . Scottish Jacobite resistance to the union, led by descendants of James II and VII including Bonnie Prince Charlie , continued until 1746. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was formed by the Acts of Union 1800 , which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and

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2436-994: The new Cabinet first meeting on 6 July and the new Parliament being called to meet on 9 July. It has been noted for its female political representation, appointing women to a record half of the Cabinet (including Rachel Reeves as the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer in British history) and three of the five top positions in the British government, including Angela Rayner as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government . Starmer also appointed three politically independent experts: scientist Patrick Vallance as Minister of State for Science , rehabilitation campaigner James Timpson as Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation , and international law expert Richard Hermer as Attorney General for England and Wales . The government includes

2494-517: The outbreak of World War I . Its "alternative World War One Commemoration Committee" identified John Wheatley , John Maclean , Mary Barbour , Helen Crawfurd , Jimmy Maxton , Agnes Dollan , Willie Gallacher , Rev James Barr , and Keir Hardie in its list of prominent opponents of the war. Following the departure of the Foundation's first director, Robin McAlpine, to concentrate on the Common Weal,

2552-426: The powers and democratic accountability of the Scottish Parliament." Starmer ministry The Starmer ministry began on 5 July 2024 when Keir Starmer was invited by King Charles III to form a government, following the resignation of Rishi Sunak after the general election on 4 July 2024 . Starmer formed his government throughout 5–7 July, after his party won 411 seats in the 2024 general election , with

2610-579: The revenues” by creating Petroleum Revenue Tax. [1] The Labour Party , led by Harold Wilson, won the October 1974 general election with the very narrow majority of only three seats. Following their election to Parliament, the SNP MPs pressed for the creation of a Scottish Assembly: a viewpoint which was given added credibility by the conclusions of the Kilbrandon Commission. However, opponents demanded that

2668-524: The start of a rapid decolonisation in Africa and the end of the British Empire . The UK had already suffered the international humiliation of the 1956 Suez Crisis , which showed that it was no longer the superpower it had been before World War II . For many in Scotland, this served to undermine one of the principal raisons d'être for the United Kingdom and also symbolised the end of popular imperialism and

2726-503: The surge in Scottish National Party popularity, the document came to light only in 2005, when the SNP obtained the report under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 . McCrone himself has rejected this claim, the main thrust of this myth was to point out nothing had been done to secure tax revenues from the impending arrival of oil. “Mercifully,” he recalled, “the Labour government set about securing

2784-399: The total electorate should vote in favour in order to make it valid. But the turnout was only 63.6%, so only 32.9% of the electorate voted "Yes". The Scotland Act 1978 was consequently repealed in March 1979 by a vote of 301–206 in Parliament. In the wake of the referendum, the supporters of the bill conducted a protest campaign under the slogan "Scotland said yes". They said that the 40% rule

2842-539: The union , the Financial Times indicates that the Internal Market Act may serve to further the cause of independence: An example of what not to do was the government’s Internal Market Act, in which London retook control of structural funds previously disbursed by the EU. This view was mirrored by the Scottish Government in a report published in March 2021, which states that the act is "radically undermining

2900-482: The verdict of the people, and I call on all of Scotland to follow suit in accepting the democratic verdict". In 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum, however Scotland voted to remain by 62% to 38%. Leading pro-independence figures suggested a second independence referendum. For example, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said that she was looking at all options to "secure our place in

2958-596: The years of the Conservative government after 1979, the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly was established, eventually publishing the Claim of Right 1989 . This led to the Scottish Constitutional Convention . The convention promoted consensus on devolution on a cross-party basis, though the Conservative Party refused to co-operate and the Scottish National Party withdrew from the discussions when it became clear that

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3016-479: Was "fair, legal and decisive". Negotiations continued between the two governments until October 2012, when the Edinburgh Agreement was reached. The Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Act 2013 was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 27 June 2013 and received Royal Assent on 7 August 2013. On 15 November 2013, the Scottish Government published Scotland's Future , a 670-page white paper laying out

3074-399: Was eroded by several by-election losses, and the government became increasingly unpopular. Deals were made with the SNP and Plaid Cymru to hold referendums on devolution in exchange for their support, helping to prolong the government's life. The result of the referendum in Scotland was a narrow majority in favour of devolution (52% to 48%), but a condition of the referendum was that 40% of

3132-481: Was first invoked at that time and remained active through to the 16th century. The Wars of Scottish Independence ended in a renewed kingdom under Robert the Bruce (crowned 1306), whose grandson Robert II of Scotland was the first Scottish king of the House of Stuart . From 1603 Scotland and England shared the same monarch in a personal union when James VI of Scotland was declared King of England and Scotland in what

3190-604: Was known as the Union of the Crowns . After James II and VII was deposed in 1688 amid Catholic-Protestant disputes, and as the line of Protestant Stuarts showed signs of failing (as indeed occurred in 1714), English fears that Scotland would select a different monarch, potentially causing conflict within Great Britain, and the bankruptcy of many Scottish nobles through the Darien scheme led to

3248-461: Was recorded as 5,100,000 in the 1951 UK Census ). The covenant was ignored by the main political parties. In 1950 the Stone of Destiny was removed from Westminster Abbey by a group of Scottish nationalist students. The question of full independence, or the less controversial home rule , did not re-enter the political mainstream until 1960, after the famous Wind of Change speech by Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan . This speech marked

3306-423: Was then tabled by the Conservatives and supported by the SNP, the Liberals and Ulster Unionists . It passed by one vote on 28 March 1979, forcing the May 1979 general election , which was won by the Conservatives led by Margaret Thatcher . Prime Minister Callaghan described the decision of the SNP to bring down the Labour government as " turkeys voting for Christmas ". The SNP group was reduced from 11 MPs to 2 at

3364-424: Was undemocratic and that the referendum results justified the establishment of the assembly. Campaigners for a "No" vote countered that voters had been told before the referendum that failing to vote was as good as a "No". It was therefore incorrect to conclude that the relatively low turnout was entirely due to voter apathy . In protest, the SNP withdrew their support from the government. A motion of no confidence

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