Alternate Governance For Scotland Flashcards
Scottish parliament creation
The Scottish parliament was created in 1999 following a referendum 2 years prior in which a large majority of 74% voted in favour of a Scottish parliament
Scotland were given the choice to gain independence
The 2014 independence referendum gave Scotland the chance to become independent again however, 55% voted no and Scotland remained in the UK
What sparked up the independence debate
The independence debate was brought back into the spotlight after the Brexit referendum in which Scotland voted remain with 62% yet were still forced to leave due to England voting yes
Nicola sturgeon requested the power to hold a second referendum
In 2019 Nicola sturgeon requested the power to hold a second referendum, but Boris Johnson refused arguing that the 2014 referendum was a once in a generation opportunity. This was the case again in 2022 when the Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government was not allowed to hold a second referendum
Devomax system
Under devomax, Scotland would recieve devolved powers in almost all areas except foreign affairs and defence. Scottish parliament would also be responsible for raising and spending its own funds
If Scotland had a devomax system
For example in the 2020 covid-19 pandemic, the Scottish government would have had the powers to bring in a lockdown earlier
What would Scotland not have power over
Scotland would not have control over matters such as going to war or rejoining the eu
What would a disadvantage be of joining devomax
Scotland receives more funding per capita than England and wales, if devomax was introduced they might have to generate additional revenue or reduce taxes to meet these needs. For example Scotland has 17% more per person spent on it than the UK average
One advantage of becoming independent
For example, the snp argue that they would have £200 million more per year to spend on nurses, police and teachers rather than on nuclear weapons which is currently a reserved power
Disadvantage of becoming independent
Scotland would start with a very high level of debt and be charged greater interest for payments for it compared to what is paid by the rest of the UK
Scotland has benefited from being in the UK
For example, Boris Johnson argued in 2020 that it was because of the financial power of being in the UK that helped protect jobs in the covid-19 pandemic
Polls show many would vote for independence
Many polls show that there has been a recent growth in support for Scottish independence showing 54% would vote yes
