Scotts Seek Independence from UK

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Ainsley Thomson, Scotland, UK Grapple Over Autonomy. Wall Street Journal, Jan 12, 2012.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... 54200662014314.html

Quote:

(a) The first five paragraphs:

"After more than 300 years together, Scotland and the UK are locked in a public struggle over who has the right to call a referendum on whether to end their union: the UK government or the Scottish one.

"Tension has been building in recent days between the head of the Scottish government, Alex Salmond, whose Scottish National Party has long campaigned for an independent country, and UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who supports the status quo. Under the longstanding arrangement, Scotland is part of the UK with some powers of self-government.

"Mr Cameron this week attempted to take control of the matter by saying that only the UK Parliament under the current law has the right to call a binding referendum on the issue, saying a move by Edinburgh to do so would be open to a legal challenge. But he added that the UK was willing to consider changing the law to allow the Scottish Parliament to hold a referendum in the near future, if it were to meet certain conditions.

"Mr Salmond countered that it is Scotland's decision and that a vote should be held in 2014 [so that Scotland separatists can build support in the interim]. He accused Mr Cameron of interfering in Scotland's referendum and imposing unacceptable conditions.

"Mr Salmod told supporters in a message posted on the party's website that a referendum on Scottish independence will be held in autumn 2014, not long after Scotland celebrates the 700th anniversary of a famous Scottish victory over the English at Bannockburn.

(b) "Scotland has been part of the UK since the 1707 Act of Union.

(c) "One battleground in the debate is over who would get to vote in any referendum. Mr Cameron wants any vote to be limited to normally eligible voters. But Mr Salmond wants to lower the voting age for the referendum to 16 from 18 to include younger citizens who may be more pro-independence.

Note:
(a)
(i) Acts of Union 1707
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707
( Each side had its own particular concerns. Within a few days, England gained a guarantee that the Hanoverian royal dynasty would succeed Queen Anne to the Scottish crown, and the Scots received some much-desired access to colonial markets, in the hope that they would be placed on an equal footing in terms of trade.)

Compare
Acts of Union 1800
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1800
(the twin acts united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland)

(ii) Anne, Queen of Great Britain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne,_Queen_of_Great_Britain
(Scottish; 1665-1714; reign 1702-1714; section 2.4 Act of Settlement [1701])  

(b)
(i) Bannockburn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bannockburn
(a village)
(ii) Battle of Bannockburn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bannockburn
(Robert Bruce of Scotland v Edward II of England)
(iii) Robert the Bruce
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_the_Bruce
(1274-1329; King of Scotts 1306–1329; section 14 Legends: at some point while he was on the run during the winter of 1306–07, Bruce hid in a cave on Rathlin Island off the north coast of Ireland, where he observed a spider spinning a web)