The Scottish Devolution Referendum

Scotland has begun its road to independence since the 14th century. In 1314, the Scottish King, Robert Bruce, build strong armies. He used strategies and techniques and achieved a glorious victory at Bannockburn. As a result, England lost control over Scotland. In 1328, Scotland and England signed a peace treaty at Northampton, declaring Scotland as an independent country. Scotland became the first nation-state in Europe; however, English kings called themselves Scottish rulers. The country was completely independent until James I succeeded Elizabeth I in 1603 (Timeline - History of Scotland's Bids for Independence). During the reign of James I, both Scotland and England had their autonomous parliaments and councils. Moreover, Scotland was divided into two distinct nations: the Highland and the Lowland. During the reign of King Charles I, there was a known document; it served as an unofficial declaration of the
Dr. Gerry Mooney, senior lecturer in the Open University of Scotland, argues that the economic upheaval at that time could be described through “two seemingly contradictory terms: deindustrialization and diversification” (4). Scotland had long relied upon particular industrial elements which were comparatively few, such as shipbuilding, steel, coal, and other rather dated industries. The major issue was that sectors of industry mentioned above were all in a deteriorating condition due to the UK government declining them. The Past-1954 Regional Policy in Scotland aimed at “diversifying” the Scottish economy in order to revive it through installing “lighter and newer” industries. All the factors mentioned greatly contributed to making the desire to attain autonomy full-fledged, hence the First Scottish Referendum