300 years ago today,
the Act of Union between England and Scotland was ratified and brought Great Britain into existence. Although they had previously shared the same monarch for just over 100 years, the two countries had their own parliaments. The Act of Union saw the Scottish Parliament abolish itself and Scottish MPs now sat in Westminster in London.
The Act saw the unification of the island of Britain, as Wales had been incorporated into the English state in 1546. Ireland was to join the Union nearly a century later in 1801, although the majority of the island seceded in 1921.
While there are many that argue that Scotland prospered as a junior partner in the British Empire, others believe that the Union has been disastrous for the country both culturally and economically, particularly in the last century. There are many who believe the latter and that independence is the right move. The Scottish Nationalist Party is leading in the polls and with elections coming up this year, they will be playing the independence card. They point to the economic success of small countries such as Estonia and the Republic of Ireland as examples. Whatever the arguments, there is no denying that Scots have had a disproportionate influence on Britain. For example, Scots occupy very important positions in the current British Government.
Will we see an independent Scotland in 10 or 15 years time? If, so what effect would this have on the rest of the UK?
