Independance

Scottish Independence will bring huge benefits to Scotland 
By Nicole Kingsley
Contents
Background and history to the Independence Referendum
Pro-Independence political parties
Arguments in favour of Independence
Pro-Union political parties
Arguments in favour of the UK union
Against Scottish independence
Overall conclusion

Background and history to the Independence Referendum
Scotland was an independent country until 1707, when Scotland, England and Wales united to become Great Britain. Although the crowns of both kingdoms had been held by the same people since 1603, each country had its own parliament and legal system. The first few decades of the new kingdom saw a number of attempts to restore the ousted Stuart monarchy .
Although union was not universally welcomed, it allowed Scotland's commercial and political people to thrive. A separate Secretary of State for Scotland represented Scotland's interests within the Government from 1707 to 1745. A post of Secretary for Scotland was created in 1885, which was upgraded to Secretary of State in 1926. The Scottish Office moved its base from London to Edinburgh in 1939. The Scottish National Party was founded in 1934. At the time SNP rejected the goal of full independence. The SNP's first MP was elected in 1945. Notably, in 1967, the SNP won over 200,000 votes in local council elections, and took 40 per cent of the national vote in 1968's council elections. The SNP won seven and then eleven seats in the general elections of 1974.The Scotland Act 1978 made provision for a referendum on devolution. Although the 1979 referendum found a majority of those voting in favour, it did not achieve the 40 per cent of the overall electorate threshold required for the result to stand. The failure of the referendum saw the start of a period of decline for the SNP.
In 1988, a Scottish Constitutional Convention was formed, bringing together MPs, local authorities, the STUC, business and church. The Scottish Parliament was established in 1999. In 2007 the SNP achieved a historic victory in the Scottish parliamentary elections. However, the SNP won a resounding victory in the 2011 elections, and the power to call a referendum. Opponents are demanding that the referendum be held immediately, believing there is little support in Scotland at the moment for full independence.