Scottish independence is like marmite: you either love it or you hate it. For decades, Scottish people and their politicians have rallied around the call for autonomous statehood. But in light of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s recent and unexpected resignation, the future of the independence movement is now unclear.
As an American international student, being introduced to the dynamics of the UK political landscape was daunting: What exactly is the House of Lords? Is Scotland a country or a region? What on earth is a devolved parliament? And why do many Scottish citizens want independence from the UK? It took a handful of Saturday mornings on Wikipedia and a sizable dose of curiosity to piece together a jumbled understanding. For many Edinburgh students (especially international students), UK politics is a mystery. Consider this a brief rundown of the basics, written by and for newcomers.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Scotland was an autonomous state until 1707 when the Act of Union united the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England. Scotland was suffering economically, and unification granted them a share in the wealth from British colonial assets. Thus, the Scottish Parliament was dissolved after nearly 500 years of assembly, and the UK Parliament (aka Westminster) became the sole location of British sovereignty. Scotland was without a parliament for nearly 300 years until the most important piece of Scottish legislation since 1707 was passed by Westminster: the 1998 Scotland Act. The Act created a new Scottish Parliament, granting Scotland the most autonomy it had held since unification.
Scotland’s call for a parliament and its call for independence came from similar motivations: Scotland wanted more self-determination, particularly when it came to taxation. Policies such as the Poll Tax — which was introduced by Margaret Thatcher in 1989 and implemented in Scotland a year before England — were wildly unpopular.
While Scotland gained a Parliament in 1998, its powers are limited. The Scottish Parliament is something called a “devolved parliament” – it exists apart from UK Parliament and holds some autonomous decision-making power.
To draw an American comparison, a devolved parliament is similar to states’ rights, with the Scottish First Minister similar to a state governor. The First Minister is head of the Scottish government but is subordinate to the Prime Minister of the UK (in the same way that U.S. governors are the chief executive in their state, but the President is the chief executive of the federal government). Devolved powers therefore apply to some domestic policy areas like: agriculture and fisheries, education, housing, local government, some taxation, and social services. They do not include constitutional matters, trade, foreign affairs, immigration, most equality legislation, national security, or elections to UK parliament. These matters are controlled solely by Westminster.
A recent example of conflict between devolved and Westminster-held powers was when Westminster blocked the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. The bill would have eased the process of legally changing one’s gender, but was blocked by Westminster which argued that the bill was outside the scope of Scotland’s devolved powers (which do not usually include equality legislation). This was the first time this had been done since the Scottish Parliament was created. For some Scottish citizens, moments such as these provide confirmation that Scotland’s values, opinions, and culture are antithetical to England’s.
Central to the Scottish Independence movement is the Scottish National Party (SNP). The UK’s third-largest party by membership after Labour and Conservative, the SNP advocates for Scottish independence and EU membership. The Scottish Parliament has been dominated by the SNP since 2007 when Alex Salmond took office as First Minister. He was succeeded by Nicola Sturgeon in 2016. Before 2007, Scotland was controlled by the Scottish Labour Party (Scotland has never had a Conservative government.)
In 2014, the SNP organized a historic independence referendum. It was marketed by the SNP as ‘Scotland’s Future’ – a once-in-a-generation vote that would grant Scotland the opportunity to choose its path. The SNP prepared for an independent future, passing important legislation such as the Scottish Independence Bill which included an transitionary constitution. When the vote was held, 55% of Scottish voters voted “No” to independence effectively quashing the SNP’s ultimate goal.
However, in 2022 the SNP called for another referendum to be held this year on 19 October 2023. This is where the confusion begins. Back in 2014, Scottish Parliament was sanctioned to organise a referendum through a Section 30 Order. Section 30 Orders temporarily suspend the devolution settlement. In this case, the Order allowed Scotland to legislate for an independence referendum.
This time around, Scotland’s Section 30 Order was denied by Westminster. Westminster is reluctant to grant another referendum just nine years after the last, while from Scotland’s perspective, Brexit changed everything. The UK’s decision to leave the EU was notoriously close with a 52% majority. In Scotland, there was a 62% majority vote to remain. The SNP believes that another referendum would result in a majority “Yes” vote to become independent and SNP policy is to re-apply for EU membership if independence is achieved.
It’s not difficult to see why Scotland wants independence. In many ways, its people constitute a unique community that diverge from the rest of the UK in values, opinions, and way of life. The announcement of Sturgeon’s resignation on February 15th obscures the movement’s future. In 2022, Sturgeon admitted that if Westminster does not approve the referendum, the General Election would provide a ‘de facto’ result.
As a newcomer to the United Kingdom, I sometimes feel embarrassed to hold an opinion on British politics. Who am I to be an authority? I’m not a UK citizen, I don’t have British ancestry, and my stay here may be limited. Concurrently, I feel that as a resident it is my responsibility to be informed. As citizens of the world, it is incumbent upon us all to be educated about the places in which we reside. If a referendum is held this year, I and other international students will not be allowed to vote. Regardless, I feel a strong connection to Scotland. In the words of Donald Dewar, Scotland’s first First Minister, in his speech at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, “honesty and simple dignity are priceless virtues, not imparted by rank or birth or privilege but part of the soul.” I hold faith in the enduring dignity and virtue of Scotland no matter what its future holds.
“Scottish Independence Rally, George Square, Glasgow, 2019 4” by LornaMCampbell is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.