Scotland can leave UK or not?

 

Summary of this Article:

• Scotland, part of the UK alliance, has a history of seeking independence due to its distinct identity and culture.
• In 2014, a referendum on Scottish independence failed, with 55% voting to remain part of the UK.
• Brexit in 2016 reignited calls for independence as Scotland largely voted to remain in the EU.
• Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP, demanded a new independence referendum, which was rejected by the UK government.
• The SNP's dominance in Scottish politics indicates growing support for independence.
• However, challenges include economic considerations, such as adjusting budget deficits and trade relationships.
• If Scotland secedes, it would impact the UK's territory, economy, and trade dynamics significantly.
• The decision on Scottish independence remains contentious, with implications for both Scotland and the UK.
• Resolution of this issue rests with political leaders like Rishi Sunak and Hamza Yusuf, who face the task of finding a mutually acceptable solution.

 

 

Welcome to Historical Horizons! This is UK an alliance of four countries The first and central country included in this union is England. The second country is Wales, the third country in this union is Scotland. And the fourth country is Northern Ireland. But some elements in Scotland no longer want to be part of this union. Rather, they want to become a separate independent country.

In June 2022, former FM of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon demanded in Parliament. On October 19, 2023, another referendum will be held throughout Scotland to separate from the UK. According to Sturgeon's three-phase plan, in the first phase she made a request to the UK Parliament to hold a referendum. Her demand was rejected by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the UK at the time. After the demanded was rejected, she took the matter to the UK Supreme Court to ask whether there was a case in which the Scottish Parliament could hold a referendum. But here she also faced failure.

According to the ruling Scottish Parliament can't hold a referendum for independence unilaterally. But for this, the approval of Westminster, the UK Parliament will be compulsory. After the court ruling, when all legal avenues were closed, she announced that her party, the Scottish National Party would take part in the next general election in the United Kingdom as a de facto referendum. That is on the single issue that we want independence. This means that if his party gets more than fifty percent of the vote, it will be proof that the Scottish people should get independence.

When and why Scotland became a part of the UK?

The history of Scotland joining the UK coalition is also interesting. It was 13th century the Kingdom of England invaded and claimed Wales. In the 1530s and 40s Wales formally became part of the Kingdom of England under the Treaties of Union. Meanwhile, England also attacked Scotland in the north but could not succeed.

At the end of the 17th century Scottish government decided to establish a colony in Panama after seeing other European nations. Scotland's decision proved to be a burden on weak economy and it was mired in debt. Scotland joined the union with England and Wales in 1707 to get rid of the burden of debts. And so Great Britain came into being. After that, in 1801, the Irish island also became a part of Great Britain. And the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland came into existence which we now call the UK. The southern part of Ireland separated from the Union in 1922 and became an independent independent country. It was about how UK came into being.

Referendum for Scottish independence:

A referendum for independence has been held in Scotland in the year 2014. The demand for transfer of more powers from the UK government is not new. But has been going on since the mid-nineteenth century. Scottish people believe that they have own distinct identity, culture and history. So they should have full control of all their affairs. This has been worked on at various times. But Scotland got the right to form the present Parliament through an Act in 1998. After that, control of local administration also came to Scotland. The major political party that calls for freedom and independence is the SNP.

In addition, there are also the same parties that are the main political parties of the UK. Among them are Liberal Democrats, Labors and Conservatives. These parties have been in favor of devolution in the past. But are not in favor of full independence for Scotland from the UK. In elections held since the formation of the Scottish Parliament, the Labors won majority. When the Scottish National Party i.e. SNP came to power for the first time in 2007 it intensified its campaign for independence. The SNP also promised its people for independence in the coming years. But no concrete steps have been taken on it. Because his government was supported by unity alliances. This desire for independence has always been criticized by the central government of the UK.

In 2011, the SNP once again won the elections with a large margin and a clear majority. This time SNP also announced that in the second half of government period that was sometime between 2014/15 to hold a referendum. Surprisingly, the UK government accepted Scotland's demand and authorized the Scottish Parliament to hold a referendum through the Section 30 Order. This order came into effect under the Edinburgh Agreement in 2012 on September 18, 2014. A referendum was held in Scotland on whether or not to remain a part of the UK.The turnout of this referendum was about 85 percent. According to results, 55 percent of the citizens believed that Scotland should remain a part of UK i.e. should not be an independent country

On the contrary, according to 45% of citizens, Scotland should be a separate independent country. Thus, this referendum failed and Scotland remained a part of UK. After the official announcement of the results the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond said, he supports the people's decision. He also called on the Scottish citizens to accept the democratic decision and follow it.

It was about first referendum for independence but you might be wondering that why Scotland is demanding a new referendum. Though not even a decade has passed since the first referendum? The answer to this question is Brexit You might know UK was member of European Union in 2016, the UK held a referendum on whether or not to remain part of the European Union. The UK itself is a union of four countries and was also a member of the European Union with full unity. Therefore, the four member countries of the alliance were also included in this referendum. Overall, according to the combined results of the four countries 52% of the people thought that the UK should not remain a part of the European Union.

These were combined results of referendum but if you look at individual results 62% of Scottish citizens wanted to remain part of the EU, compared to 38%. While almost 56% of Northern Irish citizens agreed with the Scottish people. Since the final decision was to be based on the overall results. So, it was now decided that the United Kingdom would leave the European Union.Scotland was part of the UK so this decision applied to Scotland as well as to the rest of the Union. Although a large number of Scottish citizens were opposed to the decision.

Which has been imposed on them Afterwards, the leader of the SNP and the FM, Nicola Sturgeon, said that leaving the European Union was contrary to the wishes of the Scottish people and It is an unacceptable you have already seen the results. This also seemed right so this was the turning point. After which the demand for a new referendum began to gain momentum. After that, Sturgeon requested a new Independence Referendum from the UK. But it has been rejected.

What are the Chances that a New Referendum Will Happen or Not?

The answer to the question whether the referendum will be held or not is very clear. That it would happen in the near future is not visible at all. The first reason is that the situation has changed rapidly after Brexit. Now the feelings of separation from the UK have increased. A proof of this is the general election of 2019 SNP won more than 80 percent of the seats in Scotland for the UK Parliament Public confidence in a nationalist party was clear evidence that Scottish people did not want to leave the EU. This vote was an expression of that anger. After the victory, Sturgeon said it was a clear message for the need for a new referendum. It should also be noted that SNP is also demanding that UK government to remove nuclear weapons from Scotland.

Scotland contributes 7.5% of the UK's gross national product which is second after England. This is apparently a low percentage but it is higher than Wales' 3.5% and Northern Ireland's 2.2%. So the UK cannot afford to lose the other largest country in this alliance. Here it is also important that if UK govt doesn't allow referendum for some reasons and Scottish government held an unofficial referendum so chances are quite high that other political parties in Scotland will boycott it. Thus, many questions will be raised on the legality of this referendum.

What Would Happen if Scotland Seceded from the UK?

Scotland covers 32% of the total area of ​​the UK. In case of secession, the United Kingdom would not only lose a third of its territory but also a large part of the North Sea Oil Reserves would go from the UK to Scotland as it falls within Scottish waters. One position of the UK government is that to adjust budget deficit of Scotland. UK government pays a bloc grant to Scotland. Survival will be difficult for Scotland in case of independence.

Here Scotland's position is that after independence it will make up for its deficit with the North Sea oil field, fishing and tourism. The population of Scotland is also the second most populous country in UK after England. In case of Scottish Independence, the population of the UK would decrease by 8.1%. Here you should also know that UK is currently the largest exporter of a particular type of alcohol in the world and this wine is produced in Scotland. In the event of separation, the UK will obviously not be a major exporter. After leaving the union there is a very clear possibility that Scotland will become part of the European Union.

But if we look at Scotland's exports, 51% of exports go to UK constituent countries alone. While the rest of the world goes to 49 percent of Scotland's exports. After independence, Scotland will leave the UK's Common Market in this case for trade with the other states of UK. Scotland will have to meet taxes and certain other conditions. According to experts this cost of trade will increase by 15 to 20 percent with the introduction of taxes etc.

In such a situation it won't be a wise decision being part of the Union, Scotland follows the pound sterling and the central bank's monetary policy. In case of secession it would obviously have to create its own new central bank and currency. At present the Prime Minister of UK is Rishi Sonak and the First Minister of Scotland is Hamza Yusuf of Pakistani origin. Both have a heavy responsibility for solving the Scottish Independence issue.

Time will tell how these two come up with a solution to this problem. What do you think Scotland should be a separated independent country? Or it is beneficial for it to be within the United Kingdom? Be sure to write us in comments and also follow our blog for more such informative articles. If you liked this article then share it with your friends. Thanks!