The Demand for Independence Has Historical Roots in Scotland
Scotland was an independent kingdom from its establishment in the early Middle Ages until 1707. In 1707, the Scottish Parliament voted to form a political alliance with England and a treaty of union was concluded, thus merging the two countries and giving birth to the Kingdom of Great Britain. Ever since the founding of the UK, there has always been a spirit of independence on the part of the Scots, but in recent years, following the tensions between the UK central government and Scotland, this tendency has grown.
Nicola Sturgeon Plans to Hold a Second Independence Referendum
The Scottish National Party (SNP) is committed to holding an independence referendum by the end of 2023, a move that could break the 314-year-old alliance between England and Scotland to overthrow the UK. Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP, has said that if her party wins a majority in next month’s Holyrood elections, Boris Johnson will not block a second Scottish independence referendum. The prime minister, meanwhile, has so far opposed calls for a referendum, saying the 2014 vote was a one-time affair, with Scottish conservatives opposed to a second referendum. But Sturgeon recently said she believed the UK government’s stance on the issue had shifted from opposing the referendum to talking about when and how it would be held. She said that if the people of Scotland vote for a party that says the independence referendum must take place at the right time, it cannot be prevented and she does not think this will happen. She added that her definite preference and intention is to hold another referendum by 2023 – ff course, by following coronavirus protocols .
Boris Johnson’s Contradictory Position on Holding a Referendum in Scotland
In January, Johnson said there should be a 40-year gap between the first and second Scottish independence referendums – such as the 1975 and 2016 European referendums. “Referendums in my experience, direct experience, in this country are not particularly jolly events,” the prime minister told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. “They don’t have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once-in-a-generation.” However, the Scottish National Party has argued that Brexit, which was opposed by a majority of Scottish voters, has renewed the independence case.
Boris Johnson is Trapped in Mud!
Nicola Sturgeon has said that if the SNP wins a majority in next month’s election, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not oppose a second independence referendum, while some UK government ministers have said it is inevitable. The Boris Johnson government has quietly backtracked on its outspoken opposition to the referendum, because of fears that Scottish voters may be undecided about independence. It has thus given permission to vote for the Scottish National Party, believing that there is no chance of holding a referendum in Scotland any time soon. But Johnson is said to be determined in private that he will not be the prime minister to allow the referendum, and conservatives are sending the message that holding a referendum during the Covid pandemic is pure irresponsibility.
Independence is a Democratic Process, Not Dependent on a Party
Polls suggest that the Scots, given their historical background and the problems they have experienced since Brexit, want independence from the UK to become an independent country that can establish foreign relations with the rest of the world and determine its own destiny. In such a case, what will greatly help to increase this spirit of independence and put it on the right path is the kind of service and facilities that the Scottish National Party can provide to the Scots. If Nicola Sturgeon and her party can convince the Scots that their future after separation from the UK will be better than the past, she will be able to gain the support of the people on the path to independence from Britain; otherwise people may avoid such a decision. So, the Scots do not support their independence for the sake of one party and one person; achieving independence is a process that happens gradually over time. If all the arrangements for independence are not made, it could have a detrimental effect on the Scots’ economic situation.
The Path to Independence is from the People’s Vote
If another referendum is held and the Scots vote in favour of secession from the UK, it will be the biggest shock to the UK since Ireland’s independence a century ago, with London embroiled in the effects of Brexit and the coronavirus crisis. “We believe that the people of Scotland should have the opportunity for a referendum when the coronavirus virus crisis is over, to decide whether Scotland should be an independent state”, the Scottish National Party said in a recent manifesto.
Although the SNP failed to persuade the people of the region on independence from the UK during a referendum in 2014, the party’s politicians have infiltrated all of Scotland’s elected institutions in the last seven years and become more popular every year. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP, has become one of the most popular politicians in the region in recent years. Sturgeon has repeatedly warned in recent weeks that a new independence referendum is imminent, following the finalisation of Britain’s exit from the EU.
