A happy union

Let me first emphasise that there is no political agenda in my writing this, but it recently occurred to me, as I was listening to a speech from Alec Salmond, leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, that the year 2007 is a very significant milestone for Scotland.

Why? Because on the May 1, 2007 it will be the 300th anniversary of the implementation of the Act of Union whereby Scotland was politically integrated into the United Kingdom of Great Britain. On that day in 1707, the Scottish Parliament was dissolved and its members re-located to join a United Kingdom parliament at Westminster in London.

Yes, there were riots in the streets, and the writer Daniel Defoe, sent to Edinburgh to report on the proceedings, observed, “For every Scot in favour there is 99 against.” Then came the period known as the ‘Scottish Enlightenment' rapidly followed by the Industrial Revolution. Scots, tapping into the burgeoning British Empire, decided that it was not such a bad thing after all to be part of a team. However, come the 20th century, with the Empire in retreat, it was perhaps inevitable that a degree of political introspection should return. In 1999, after decades of debate, a devolved Scottish Parliament was reinstated in Edinburgh and, in May 2007, with proportional representation being introduced for the first time, there are 73 Scottish constituency seats and 56 Scottish regional seats up for grabs.

In two years time, there will also be a UK General Election to return 59...

• By : Roddy Martine
• In : Roddy Martine's World
• Issue : 30
• Page : 7
• Words : 806