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To understand how to save the UK you need to know how the UK has evolved
To understand how to save the UK you need to know how the UK has evolved
On the 13th March 2017 a starting gun was fired by Nicola Sturgeon but that wasn't just for a second Scottish independence referendum but it started the race to save the UK from dissolution.
However, to understand how to save the UK we need to understand how the UK came into existence. The Campaign for an English parliament has produced a chart explaining the evolution of the UK.
By first accepting and understanding that Scottish independence would cause the dissolution of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Unionists have a firm chance of beating Scottish independence.
The first point that Unionists need to accept is that the Union was created by three different Acts of Union, the evolution of which is worth examining. The first was in 1536 incorporating Wales into the Kingdom of England.
The following 2 articles from the Act of Union 1707 clearly show that the primary Union was between the Kingdom of England ‘incorporating Wales’ and the Kingdom of Scotland. Put together they were formed into the so-called ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain’.
ARTICLE I
That The Two Kingdoms of England and Scotland shall upon the first Day of May which shall be in the Year one thousand seven hundred and seven, and for ever after, be united into one Kingdom by the name of Great Britain.
ARTICLE III
That the United Kingdom of Great Britain be represented by one and the same Parliament, to be stiled, ‘The Parliament of Great Britain’.
It was this United Kingdom of Great Britain that in 1801 entered into a Union with the Kingdom of Ireland. The rump of which, after 1922, is the ‘province’ of Northern Ireland. This was not part of the primary Union but was a secondary Union and as such did not interfere with the primary Union.
However for Scotland to become independent the Act of Union 1707 would have to be repealed, thus dissolving the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain’. That legal dissolution might only occur for a short time before another UK is created but be assured the Act of Union 1707 would be dissolved.
It may be difficult for many British politicians to accept this, but instead of continuing as ‘rest of the United Kingdom’ (rUK), there could be numerous other possibilities if Scotland does become independent.
Legal and constitutional logic dictates that unless there is ‘further constitutional legalisation’, the break-up of the UK will lead to the re-emergence of the ‘Kingdom of England’ ‘incorporating Wales’ or an independent Wales.
The Union with Northern Ireland would also lapse as Northern Ireland would no longer have a union with an existing entity. This means that Northern Ireland could become reunited with the Republic of Ireland.
It is almost past time therefore to recognise that the Union must be quickly re-balanced, with a new constitutional structure that answers the English Question. That structure must not be at the cost of England. The British government must not break England into 9 EU “Regions”. Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish independence desires cannot be appeased by the destruction of England!
The British government must create a democratically elected English First Minister and English government. This re-balancing would have the effect of protecting the new political structures in Wales and Northern Ireland and it would starve oxygen from the SNP’s calls for independence.
Instead of waiting to see what the outcome of another Scottish referendum is, we must begin to tackle the constitutional consequences now.
Now is the time for our political leaders to stand up and create an English parliament. So that an English First Minister can counter balance an overly vocal and hostile Scottish First minister.
Eddie Bone
Campaign Director
Campaign for an English Parliament
The first point that Unionists need to accept is that the Union was created by three different Acts of Union, the evolution of which is worth examining. The first was in 1536 incorporating Wales into the Kingdom of England.
The following 2 articles from the Act of Union 1707 clearly show that the primary Union was between the Kingdom of England ‘incorporating Wales’ and the Kingdom of Scotland. Put together they were formed into the so-called ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain’.
ARTICLE I
That The Two Kingdoms of England and Scotland shall upon the first Day of May which shall be in the Year one thousand seven hundred and seven, and for ever after, be united into one Kingdom by the name of Great Britain.
ARTICLE III
That the United Kingdom of Great Britain be represented by one and the same Parliament, to be stiled, ‘The Parliament of Great Britain’.
It was this United Kingdom of Great Britain that in 1801 entered into a Union with the Kingdom of Ireland. The rump of which, after 1922, is the ‘province’ of Northern Ireland. This was not part of the primary Union but was a secondary Union and as such did not interfere with the primary Union.
However for Scotland to become independent the Act of Union 1707 would have to be repealed, thus dissolving the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain’. That legal dissolution might only occur for a short time before another UK is created but be assured the Act of Union 1707 would be dissolved.
It may be difficult for many British politicians to accept this, but instead of continuing as ‘rest of the United Kingdom’ (rUK), there could be numerous other possibilities if Scotland does become independent.
Legal and constitutional logic dictates that unless there is ‘further constitutional legalisation’, the break-up of the UK will lead to the re-emergence of the ‘Kingdom of England’ ‘incorporating Wales’ or an independent Wales.
The Union with Northern Ireland would also lapse as Northern Ireland would no longer have a union with an existing entity. This means that Northern Ireland could become reunited with the Republic of Ireland.
It is almost past time therefore to recognise that the Union must be quickly re-balanced, with a new constitutional structure that answers the English Question. That structure must not be at the cost of England. The British government must not break England into 9 EU “Regions”. Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish independence desires cannot be appeased by the destruction of England!
The British government must create a democratically elected English First Minister and English government. This re-balancing would have the effect of protecting the new political structures in Wales and Northern Ireland and it would starve oxygen from the SNP’s calls for independence.
Instead of waiting to see what the outcome of another Scottish referendum is, we must begin to tackle the constitutional consequences now.
Now is the time for our political leaders to stand up and create an English parliament. So that an English First Minister can counter balance an overly vocal and hostile Scottish First minister.
Eddie Bone
Campaign Director
Campaign for an English Parliament
