The United Kingdom is an administrative unit consisting of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (Clifford and Morphet 57). Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are largely devolved; therefore, they enjoy some degree of independence. However, by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) does not consider any of the four regions as independent nations. Scotland borders England to the south and the Atlantic Ocean on all other fronts. The “nation” is associated with more than seven hundred islands. Scotland was established in the ninth century, specifically in the year 843 (Walker 7). In the nineteenth century, Scotland united with England and in the year 1998, Scotland was devolved from the United Kingdom (Clifford and Morphet 58). The overall head of Scotland is the head of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II. The devolution of Scotland’s administration and its representation in the United Kingdom government are limited. The executive role is vested with the Scottish Government whereas the Scottish Parliament undertakes legislative work (Walker 9). This paper evaluates and discusses some of the issues between Scotland and England.
Background of Issues between England and Scotland
In 2011, Scotland voted to elect the members of the Scottish parliament. Four major political parties fronted candidates as representatives for various regions in Scotland. The parties include SNP, Labour Party, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat Parties. The SNP Party garnered sixty-nine seats making Alex Salmond, the leader of the party, the First Minister of Scotland (Clifford and Morphet, 58). The origin of the issues between the United Kingdom and Scotland is one of the campaign promises that the SNP Party outlines. Among other things, SNP promised to pass laws that would allow Scotland to go into a referendum to enable it to gain its independence from the United Kingdom.
The referendum to determine the independence of Scotland from the United Kingdom was held on 18 September 2014. The arguments that SNP presented to support its secession from the United Kingdom included Scotland’s oil reserves (Walker 12). Specifically, members of SNP argued that Scotland would be wealthier without having to share its oil wealth with the rest of the United Kingdom. Another issue that informed the succession plans was the currency used in the two regions (Clifford and Morphet, 59). Nevertheless, the people of Scotland voted to remain in the United Kingdom.
Aftermath of the Scotland Referendum
Ideally, Queen of England, as well as the world at large, viewed the succession referendum as an open expression by the Scots. In spite of the fact that most Scots voted against the succession plans, the number of political parties that supported succession plans increased significantly (Walker 21). Furthermore, the referendum was a starting point for a secession debate that continues to date.
Scotland enjoys a cordial relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom. Scotland also enjoys financial and social benefits by being a member of the United Kingdom (Clifford and Morphet 60). For example, Scotland has a huge debt that would virtually bankrupt it if it were not distributed evenly among the members of the United Kingdom (Walker 27). At some point in time, Scotland will withdraw from the United Kingdom, but the nations will still be mutually dependent on each other in some aspects. Nevertheless, the government of the United Kingdom made it clear that practical difficulties and divergent interests would hinder total cooperation with the new state. This stand reportedly affected the decisions that the electorate made in the 2014 referendum (Clifford and Morphet 60).
Works Cited
Clifford, Ben, and Morphet, Janice. "Afterword: the Scottish referendum, the English question and the changing constitutional geography of the United Kingdom." The Geographical Journal 181.1 (2015): 57-60.
Walker, William. "Trident's Replacement and the Survival of the United Kingdom." Survival 57.5 (2015): 7-28.
