Scotland - Great Britain's Quebec!

France lost the battle for North America hundreds of years ago but Quebec refuses to lay down and die! Much the same can be said for Scotland since this is the 300th anniversary of an increasingly dis-united union with England.

(The fact that my wife is a Scottish lass from Glasgow, and would be happy with this article has nothing to do with it folks!)

Back in 1707 the Scottish Parliament voted to accept the "Treaty of Union" with England which gave the world Great Britain, heralded the blossoming of the "Industrial Age," and made Britain a world power.

This in spite of the fact that during the Wars of Scottish Independence, (approximately 1290 - 1363) invasions led to periods of temporary English occupation of parts of Scotland, but Scottish independence was retained.

(Robert the Bruce,
King of Scotland,
after the uprising by
William Wallace - "Braveheart!")


In 1603 James VI of Scotland also became James I of England, but the Union of the Crowns still left the parliaments separate. Scotland retained its government but the struggle between the countries now became economic.

The Scottish and English Parliaments signed the Act of Union of 1707, both the English and the Scottish Parliaments were dissolved, and all their powers were transferred to a new Parliament in London which then became the Parliament of Great Britain.

Certain significant matters including Law and education remained separate from the English system, and the Scottish culture and languages retained some strength.

Although there was a new British identity taken up with varying degrees of enthusiasm, (an attempted re-branding of Scotland as 'North Britain' never caught on) the Scottish national identity remained strong.

Some of England's 50 million people grumble that Scotland effectively rules the United Kingdom and bemoan the abundance of Scottish lawmakers in high-ranking positions.

(Plus the fact that Scottish polling districts play in determining national elections, and the "Royal Family's favourite retreat" is still Balmoral, Scotland!)

Now, ladies and gentlemen, this is the purpose of the whole article!

Just as most Scots care little for concerns over liberty, democracy or nationalism, and claim the debate is really about taxation and the standard of living, so too should the people of Quebec be more concerned with the economic consequences of separation than the cultural implications. You can't have it both ways!!!

Your "political' scribe;
Allan W Janssen