Dinah Douglas -TRWDoes Scotland deserve its independence from England?
Before coming to Scotland, I hadn't considered too much what the political climate in the UK is like. I figured I understood how the Westminster parliamentary system worked well enough to get by in conversation… Little did I know, political banter in Scotland is hoppin'!
In the U.S., we use the term "British" to refer to the dreamy accents of actors like Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, which are in fact English accents. British is really the term properly used to refer to citizens of the entire union of Great Britain. Studying Scottish identity in class has taught me that one must be sensitive about using these terms.
One of my professors, Dr. David McCrone, has lectured on his research (presented in the book "Understanding Scotland: The Sociology of a Nation") that helps unpack Scottish identity through asking people how they describe themselves in terms of national associations. Learning that a sizeable population of his interviewees defined themselves as specifically Scottish - rejecting the "British" label entirely - put into perspective a lot of issues Scotland as a nation faces.
Scotland and England have a long history of conflict (which you can start to appreciate by watching "Braveheart"). But, in 1707, the two countries entered into the Treaty of Union, which didn't exactly quell any tensions. Scotland was then - and is still now - in control of its civil society and institutions, but handed over its self-governing power of parliament to participate in the unionized version at Westminster.
In 1933, the Scottish National Party (SNP) grew out of the National Party of Scotland, a separatist political organization. Finally, the frustration of Scotland's subservience to the throne started to boil over, and, in 1945, a SNP representative was elected to Parliament. Subsequently, the SNP built its case and support for Scottish independence from English rule and won 30% of the vote in 1974. With the discovery of oil on the North Sea, frustration with England controlling Scottish resources came to a head, and thus the slogan "It's Scotland's oil" was born. This slogan is representative of the of myriad issues the Scottish people had with English rule.
When Margaret Thatcher (or, as she is not so affectionately known, "that bloody woman") came to the office of prime minister in 1979, she slashed much of the welfare policies that had improved socio-economic conditions in Scotland. Viewed as anti-Scottish, Thatcher helped raise questions of a need for Scottish devolution - or even independence.
A referendum on the ballot in Scotland in 1997 asking the people to approve a devolved government in the shape of a Scottish parliament passed. Out of this referendum the Scotland Act of 1998 was borne, which established a Scottish parliament. For the first time since the Acts of Union, Scotland had its own government.
Now, the SNP is still a powerful force, with many people heartened by the fact that Scotland has many powers of government. At the same time, many Scots are frustrated by the fact that Scotland's parliament is overshadowed by the "grown-up" Parliament that sits at Westminster. An independent Scotland is still a hope for many people in this country, while many others believe that Scotland doesn't have a leg to stand on when it comes to finances. Thus, a political storm is born. Two countries that have been at odds for hundreds of years still are not in the most harmonious of relationships… Which begs the question: Does Scotland deserve its independence from England?
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