Historically, Britain has never been a country with a fixed identity. Relations between the regions of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have historically fluctuated.
The impact of Westminster Policies on Scotland has caused the tendency for independence among the Scots to increase.
The Scots think that an independent Scotland can have the ambition to become a country like Ireland, Norway, and Austria. This article explores the factors driving the increasing inclination towards independence in Scotland.
The independence crisis in the post-Brexit period
The UK’s withdrawal from the EU after three inflammatory years indicates the beginning of a new period of crisis, the long story of seeking independence. The issue of Scotland’s independence from the UK is being pursued more seriously than after the UK’s exit from the EU.
This country voted against this issue in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s exit from the EU. The favourable vote of England and Wales to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum, against the negative vote of Scotland and Ireland, revealed long-standing severe differences between the constituent countries of the United Kingdom.
Brexit is an English phenomenon, not a British one
Brexit was an English phenomenon, not a British one. Except for the English, the rest, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish, were against Brexit. This difference in views became a source of instability in Britain. Although the Scottish independence referendum failed in 2014, the trend towards independence in Scotland is still strong. However, this is not a problem-free process. For example, will the EU accept it again if Scotland becomes independent? Will a country like Spain, which may see Scotland as Catalonia, allow it to rejoin the EU?
Scottish support for independence in the post-Brexit period
The impact of Westminster Policies on Scotland in the post-Brexit period has led to an increase in pro-independence tendencies. The first Scottish independence referendum was held on September 18, 2014. During the referendum, 55% of voters voted to remain in the UK, and 45% voted to leave the UK. Scotland’s leaders have insisted that another referendum is necessary as Britain officially leaves the EU. This referendum is about the separation of Scotland from British sovereignty.
Scotland’s First Minister’s support for holding an independence referendum
Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf insists on a new legally binding referendum on Scottish independence from the UK. The Scottish support for independence is at the highest possible level despite experiencing the most difficult months in the history of the Scottish National Party.
Yousaf said in a speech at the Scottish National Party’s southern regional conference: “Whether we’re talking about Norway, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Finland, they’re comparable to Scotland – and they are outperforming the UK in many ways. They are wealthier, with fewer people living in poverty, and they have higher levels of investment and are more productive.”
The opposition of the English parties to the holding of the Scottish independence referendum
The UK government officials are trying to prevent the referendum on Scottish independence in any way possible. Not only the Conservative Party but also the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties are against holding any referendum in Scotland. By law, holding a referendum in Scotland requires the consent of the Westminster government. The experience of the failed Scottish independence referendum has strengthened their determination for independence this time.
Rejecting the request of the Scots to hold an independence referendum
The Westminster government has repeatedly opposed holding another Scottish independence referendum. Boris Johnson rejected Nicola Sturgeon’s request for an independence referendum three years ago. In this context, he mentioned that the local authorities of this region called the 2014 referendum an event for a generation. That’s why the people voted to maintain the integrity of the UK. Johnson called the UK government the guardian of the people’s democratic decision.
Holding a referendum against the opinion of the Westminster government
The impact of Westminster Policies on Scotland has been quite negative in recent years. Supporters of holding another Scottish independence referendum believe that the British vote to leave the EU has changed the situation. Supporters of independence believe that the region wants to remain in the EU. Before the 2014 referendum, the governments of England and Scotland reached an agreement in this regard. This time, the Scots are willing to take action and hold a referendum against the opinion of the Westminster government.
The impact of Westminster Policies on Scotland
In an interview with The National Scot, Jeremy Corbyn mentioned that the Scots will gradually be disappointed with the efficiency and effectiveness of Westminster in the field of politics and improving public conditions in Scotland. Corbyn pointed out that the future British cabinet’s inability to enhance the UK’s economic and social conditions would cause a sharp increase in independence in Scotland.
He accused the Conservatives of being purposefully unfair in allocating funding and resources to Britain’s peripheral regions. According to Corbyn, the conditions of independence in Northern Ireland and Scotland are the product of this long-term discriminatory view of the administration in Westminster.
Failure to fulfil the promises of the conservatives in the post-Brexit period
The impact of Westminster Policies on Scotland after Brexit was to the detriment of the Scots. So far, London has been unable to strike a deal to compensate for the loss of trade with the EU. A recent study projects that by 2030, Brexit will result in an annual loss of £470 for each British worker, approximately equivalent to €577. Additionally, the expectation of decreased immigration post-Brexit, leading to higher wages for Britons, has proven unfounded.
Scottish independence is closer than ever
The Scots believe that the only way to return to the EU is to separate from the UK. The surveys show how public opinion in Scotland has tended towards the independence of this region from the UK. Scottish independence is now closer than ever. There is a growing desire among the Scottish public to secede from the UK. Northern Ireland and Scotland were the first to break away from the UK, followed by Wales. On the one hand, Scotland’s desire to remain in the EU and post-Brexit legal problems have strengthened the desire for Scottish independence.
