Meet Scotland

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Scotland is a country which is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Since the late-1990s, a system of devolution has emerged in the UK, under which Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have each been granted some measure of self-government within the UK, which is often referred to as "devolved powers". The original Parliament of Scotland (or “Estates of Scotland”) was the national legislature of the independent Kingdom of Scotland, and existed from the early 13th century until the Kingdom of Scotland merged with the Kingdom of England under the Acts of Union 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. As a consequence, the Parliament of Scotland merged with the Parliament of England to form the Parliament of Great Britain, which sat at Westminster in London. Scotland entered into a political union with England in 1707, and since then has sent representatives to the Palace of Westminster, which became the British parliament. Currently, 59 Members of Parliament (MPs) represent Scottish constituencies at Westminster, and issues such as the constitution, foreign affairs, defence, social security, pensions, issues of medical ethics, and fiscal, economic and monetary policy are decided on a nationwide UK level. In 1999, a 129-member Scottish Parliament was established in Edinburgh; it has full power to make law in Scotland, except in reserved matters. In the UK government, Scottish affairs are represented by the Secretary of State for Scotland, currently David Mundell MP. The Scottish Government is headed by a First Minister, who is the leader of the political party with the most support in the Scottish Parliament, currently Nicola Sturgeon MSP. The head of state in Scotland is the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952). There are six Members of the European Parliament elected by Scotland, as the UK is a member state of the European Union. Scotland can best be described as having a multi-party system. In the Scottish Parliament, the centre-left pro-independence Scottish National Party is the party which forms the devolved government; it currently holds a plurality of seats in the parliament (62 out of 129). Opposition parties include: the Scottish Conservative Party (centre-right, conservative), Scottish Labour Party (centre-left, social democratic), the Scottish Liberal Democrats (centrist, social liberal), and the Scottish Green Party (centre-left to left-wing, green). Elections are held once every five years, with 73 Members being elected to represent constituencies, and the remaining 56 elected via a system of proportional representation. At Westminster, Scotland is represented by 35 MPs from the Scottish National Party, 13 from the Conservative Party, 7 MPs from the Labour Party and 4 from the Liberal Democrats. Today, the creation of an independent Scottish state outside the United Kingdom remains a prominent political issue. On Thursday 18 September 2014, the Scottish electorate voted in a referendum on whether or not to become independent, and opted to stay as part of the United Kingdom, with 55.3% voting against independence and 44.7% voting in favour of independence.

The Interior of Scottish Parliament. THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT The election of the Labour government in 1997 was followed by a referendum in Scotland on establishing a devolved Scottish Parliament. 74.3% of voters agreed with the establishment of the parliament and 63.5% agreed it should have tax-varying powers, which meant that it could adjust income taxes by up to 3%.[4][5] The Parliament was then created by the Scotland Act 1998 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster Parliament). This Act sets out the subjects still dealt with at Westminster, referred to as reserved matters, including Defence, International Relations, Fiscal and Economic Policy, Drugs Law and Broadcasting. Anything not mentioned as a specific reserved matter is automatically devolved to Scotland, including health, education, local government, Scots law and all other issues. This is one of the key differences between the successful Scotland Act 1998 and the failed Scotland Act 1978. Donald Dewar became the first First Minister of Scotland and first leader of a Scottish Government in 1999 since the Treaty of Union in 1707 The Parliament is elected by a mixture of the first past the post and proportional representation electoral systems, namely, the additional members system. Thus the Parliament is unlike the Westminster Parliament, which is elected solely by the first past the post method. The Scottish Parliament is elected every four years and has 129 members, referred to as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Of the 129 MSPs, 73 are elected to represent first past the post constituencies, whilst the remaining 56 are elected by the additional member system. The proportional representation system has resulted in the election of a number of candidates from parties that would not have been expected to get representation through the first past the post system. A devolved government called the Scottish Executive (renamed Scottish Government in 2007) was established along with the Scottish Parliament in 1999, with the First Minister of Scotland at its head. The secretariat of the Executive is part of the UK Civil Service and the head of the Executive, the Permanent Secretary (presently Leslie Evans), is the equivalent of the Permanent Secretary of a Whitehall department. Scottish MPs are elected at the same time as the rest of the UK's MPs. Scotland was historically represented in the UK government by the Secretary of State for Scotland. This post was established in the 1880s but recently it has been the topic of much speculation. Many believe that since devolution there is no need for such a role. The Secretary of State's department, the Scotland Office, created in 1999, liaises with other Whitehall departments about devolution matters. Scotland constitutes a single European Parliament constituency. The country is also represented in the Committee of Regions. Local government in Scotland is organised into 32 unitary authorities. Each local authority is governed by a council consisting of elected councillors, who are elected every four years by registered voters in each of the council areas. Scottish councils co-operate through, and are represented collectively by, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). There are in total 32 councils, the largest being the City of Glasgow with more than 600,000 inhabitants, the smallest, Orkney, with fewer than 20,000 people. See Subdivisions of Scotland for a list of the council areas.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, the seat of the Scottish Parliament and government. Located in the South-east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast of the central belt, along the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea. The City was one of the historical major centers of the Enlightenment led by the University of Edinburgh, helping to earn it the nickname Athens of the North. HISTORY AND TRADITION

The Palace of Holyroodhouse stands in a spectacular setting at the foot of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The palace is the official residence of Her Majesty The Queen in Scotland. The Queen is Head of State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Head of the Commonwealth. Her Majesty is also Head of State of sixteen of the Commonwealth’s fifty-three member countries. The Queen is officially in residence at Holyroodhouse once a year in the summer at which time she carries out a wide range of official engagements at the palace, in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland. In the palace The Queen holds investitures in the Great Gallery for the distribution of honours; audiences are held in the Morning Drawing Room and a luncheon takes place in the Throne Room on the installation of new Knights to the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s oldest order of chivalry. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh also hold a garden party within the palace grounds, to which Scots from all walks of life are invited.

Until 1832 Scottish politics remained very much in the control of landowners in the country, and of small cliques of merchants in the burghs. Agitation against this position through the Friends of the People Society in the 1790s met with Lord Braxfield's explicit repression on behalf of the landed interests.[7] The Scottish Reform Act 1832 rearranged the constituencies and increased the electorate from under 5,000 to 65,000.[8] The Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 extended the electorate to 232,000 but with "residential qualifications peculiar to Scotland".[9] However, by 1885 around 50% of the male population had the vote, the secret ballot had become established, and the modern political era had started. From 1885 to 1918 the Liberal Party almost totally dominated Scottish politics. Only in the general election of 1955 did the Unionist Party, together with their National Liberal and Liberal Unionist allies, win a majority of votes. In general, the Unionists achieved their best results in the Glasgow area, due to the Orange vote. After the coupon election of 1918, 1922 saw the emergence of the Labour Party as a major force. Red Clydeside elected a number of Labour MPs. A communist was elected for Motherwell in 1924, but in essence the 1920s saw a 3-way fight between Labour, the Liberals and the Unionists. The National Party of Scotland first contested a seat in 1929. It merged with the centre-right Scottish Party in 1934 to form the Scottish National Party, but the SNP remained a peripheral force until the watershed Hamilton by-election of 1967. The Communists won West Fife in 1935 and again in 1945 (Willie Gallacher) and several Glasgow Labour MPs joined the Independent Labour Party in the 1930s, often heavily defeating the official Labour candidates. The National Government won the vast majority of Scottish seats in 1931 and 1935: the Liberal Party, banished to the Highlands and Islands, no longer functioned as a significant force in central Scotland. In 1945, the SNP saw its first MP (Robert McIntyre) elected at the Motherwell by-election, but had little success during the following decade. The ILP members rejoined the Labour Party, and Scotland now had in effect a two-party system. HISTORY

Shield of William Wallace Monument, Stirling, Scotland THE BIRTH OF SCOTLAND 10,000 BC The Palaeolithic Era The period of earliest known occupation of Scotland by man is from the Palaeolithic era – also known as the Stone Age. Hunter-gatherers hunted for fish and wild animals and gathered fruit, nuts, plants, roots and shells. | 3,000 BC Neolithic Age The earliest prehistoric tools found still surviving in Scotland date from 3000 BC – during the Neolithic age Scotland was home to nomadic hunter-gatherers as well as the first farmers who built permanent dwellings. The remains of domestic and ritual buildings from this time make up The Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. Visit UNESCO for more information. | 124 AD The Roman Empire Scotland’s recorded history began with the arrival of the Roman Empire. Despite building two impressive fortifications – Hadrian’s Wall to defend the northern border, and the Antonine Wall across Central Scotland to advance it forward – the Romans never truly conquered Caledonia. Unable to defeat the Caledonians and Picts, the Romans eventually withdrew and over time retreated away from Britain. Much of the 60km Antonine Wall survives and it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site, one of six in Scotland, since 2004. | 800 AD Arrival of the Vikings Vikings were accomplished seamen at this point in history, and around 800 AD they began migrating from Norway and Denmark, crossing the treacherous North Sea to trade and settle in Scotland. While Vikings began to settle in the west, the Picts were forging a new kingdom; the Kingdom of Alba. | 1040 AD Macbeth rules Scotland Immortalised forever in Shakespeare’s fictitious retelling, Macbeth is perhaps one of the best-known early Scottish kings. Macbeth ruled as King of Alba from 1040 to his death in battle in 1057. | 1100 AD Becoming a feudal society In the 12th century the Kingdom of Alba continued to grow and became a feudal society. The Treaty of Falaise, signed by William I, ushered in a period of relative peace in Scotland. During the reigns of Alexander II and then Alexander III, more land was turned over to agriculture, trade with the continent bolstered the economy and monasteries and abbeys grew and flourished around the country. | FIGHTING FOR INDEPENDENCE 1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge A succession crisis brought unrest to Scotland after the death of Alexander III. England’s monarch, Edward I, believed he should be recognised as overlord of Scotland and his troops marched north in a series of bloody sieges. In 1297, Edward’s army planned to cross the River Forth at Stirling Bridge; the Scots seized the opportunity to attack at the crossing of the River Forth, the Stirling Bridge, forcing the English army to retreat. It was here one of Scotland’s most famous figures, William Wallace, earned his place in the history books forever. | 1306 Robert the Bruce crowned King of Scotland Unrest continued into the 14th century when Robert the Bruce took the throne and was crowned king. Fighting continued until 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce and his army defeated Edward II, a major turning point in his rule. | 1320 The Declaration of Arbroath A letter written in Latin, signed by Scottish Barons and Nobles, and sent to Pope John XXII, the Declaration proclaimed Scotland’s status as an independent sovereign state. Though its effect was largely symbolic, the powerful declaration remains an important document in Scottish history – many historians believe it inspired America’s founding fathers to write the United States Declaration of Independence. For more information visit the National Records of Scotland. | THE UNION OF THE CROWNS 1450 Renaissance in Scotland The cultural, intellectual and artistic movement that took hold around Europe brought significant changes to Scotland; education, intellectual life, literature, art, architecture, music and politics all advanced in the late 15th century. | 1542 Mary Queen of Scots Mary, newly born at Linlithgow Palace, was just six days old when her father, James V, died and she was crowned Queen of Scots. Her reign was marked by Catholic-Protestant conflict and civil unrest in a period known as the ‘rough wooing’. In England, worried about the possibility of a Catholic plot against her, Elizabeth I imprisoned Mary and later, after almost 19 years of captivity, had her executed at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire in 1567 at the age of 44. | 1603 The Union of the Crowns James VI succeeded the throne at just 13 months old after Mary was forced to abdicate. When Elizabeth I died with no children, James VI succeeded to the English throne and became James VI & I – a historic move that’s now known as the Union of the Crowns. | 1707 The Act of Union In 1707 The Act of Union brought Scotland even closer to Britain by creating a single Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain at the Palace of Westminster. | 1746 Battle of Culloden The Battle of Culloden in 1746 was the final Jacobite rising and the last battle fought on British soil. The Jacobites were no match for the Hanoverian army – the battle lasted just an hour and the army was brutally crushed. | 1746 Highland Clearances Shortly after the defeat of the Jacobites at Culloden, a period known as the Highland Clearances began. A number of laws were introduced in an attempt to assimilate the Highlanders; speaking Gaelic and wearing traditional tartan attire was banned, and clan chiefs had their rights to jurisdiction removed. | 1750 ONWARDS The Age of Enlightenment The ideas from philosophers living in Scotland during The Age of Enlightenment shaped the modern world. The intellectual movement sought to understand the natural world and the human mind and ranged across philosophy, chemistry, geology, engineering, technology, poetry, medicine, economics and history. Figures like Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, Adam Smith, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott are still celebrated for their achievements. | 1800 Urban and Industrial Scotland Industrial advances and wealth accumulated from the trade of tobacco, sugar and cotton bring about the dawn of urban Scotland at the turn of the 19th century. The country shifted from rural to urban, and huge towns, massive factories and heavy industry took hold. Mining, shipbuilding and textiles were very important to Scotland’s development during this time. | THE 20TH CENTURY AND BEYOND 1914 First World War Scottish soldiers played a significant role in the First World War and Glasgow’s Clyde side was an important centre during the war as well – products from the shipyards, steel works and iron foundaries were vital to the war effort. | 1967 North Sea Oil The drilling of the first North Sea oil well was considered a major industrial achievement of the time, creating a huge supporting industry in Scotland and giving the UK access to oil made at home for the first time. | 1990S Scottish culture worldwide Films like Braveheart and Trainspotting helped to establish Scotland as a cultural powerhouse; authors, artists and musicians from Scotland were enjoying renewed success. J.K. Rowling wrote the global phenomenon Harry Potter in Edinburgh, and in 1997 scientists from the Roslin Institute successfully cloned the first mammal from an adult cell, Dolly the Sheep. | 1999 Scottish Parliament reconvenes The calls for more devolved powers had been growing for decades and resulted in a referendum in 1979. A second referendum was held in September 1997, with the vote delivering greater powers. In 1999 the Scottish Parliament reconvened for the first time in nearly 300 years, ushering in a new era for the Scottish people. The Scottish Parliament building at the foot of the Royal Mile officially opened on October 9, 2004. | 2014 Road to Referendum In 2012, the Edinburgh Agreement was signed by Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and UK Prime Minister David Cameron. It paved the way for a once in a generation referendum on Scottish independence in 2014 by confirming the Scottish Parliament’s power to hold a vote that will be respected by both governments. On the 18 September 2014, the people of Scotland voted. In response to the question, 'Should Scotland be an independent country', 1,617,989 (45%) voted Yes and 2,001,926 (55%) voted No.

William Wallace Sword, Castle Stirling, Scotland. The Wallace Sword is kept at the National Wallace Monument in the Hall of Heroes, Stirling, Scotland. This sword struck fear into the hearts of Wallace's enemies and is surrounded by the busts of Scottish heroes, from Robert the Bruce to Robert Burns, each telling a story about their place in Scotland's history. William Wallace's (1272-1305) sword is an antique claymore purported to have belonged to William Wallace. The Shaft of the sword measures 4 feet 4 inches in length (132 cm) and including the tip 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm). The breadth of the blade varies from 2.25 inches at the guard to 0.75 inches before the point. The sword weighs 6.0 lb (2.7 kg). References 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Scotland 2. http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/Visit-Background/Visit-Event-Information/Itinerary/16-September-2010/The-Palace-of-Holyroodhouse 3. https://www.scotlandinfo.eu/ 4. https://www.scotland.org/study