Independence 1975-2000

Introduction


The October 1974 General Election saw a rise in nationalist sentiment within Scotland. The SNP were polling close to Labour in the popular opinion polls north of the border. Earlier on in the year, the economist Gavin McCrone released a dossier advising government ministers to downplay the wealth the oil could generate, lest a rise in Scottish nationalism occur.

Four days prior to the general election, the document was leaked to the Scottish press, headlining almost all of the Scottish media. This is what led to the now historic result in the '74 election, with the SNP winning 36 seats, a majority of all the seats in Scotland. Negotiations began within days over independence.

Within six months, a referendum call passed Westminster, with a threshold of 40% of the populace to turnout. The referendum, on 13th Febuary 1975 was passed by a majority of 57%, with 42.1% of the total electorate turning out.

The following day the treaty of union was repealed, and Scotland became an independent nation within the Commonwealth.
 
It was agreed that the new Parliament building should be in the Old Royal High School in Edinburgh, that the equivilant of Prime Minister would have the title of Chancellor of the Kingdom of Scotland, that the speaker of the Parliament would have the title of President of the Parliament, and also that it would be elected by the FPTP system, with Scotland being divided into 145 Constituencies.

In addition to this, the SNP put forward the idea of a written constitution, which would be decided by a Scottish Constitutional Convention, following independence, this was backed by all parties.

Scotland lost membership to the Common Market, which suited the nationalists as this was their policy, and also of NATO. This led to calls for an increase in defence expenditure, along the Swedish model, although many objected to this course of action.

Despite many objections, the remainder of the UK, renamed the United Kingdom of Southern Britain and Northern Ireland retained its permenant seat in the UN security council. Scotland proudly took her seat at the UN, seated between the representitives of Saudi Arabia and Senegal.

The stage was set for the first Scottish General election.
 
This will butterfly away at least Malcolm Rifkind's tenure as Foreign Secretary (under John Major) and Gordon Brown as Prime Minister.
 
I'm American, but I'm curious, was there that much support for this back then? Why is the Prime Minister called the Chancellor, and what is the currency?
 
Within six months, a referendum call passed Westminster, with a threshold of 40% of the populace to turnout. The referendum, on 13th Febuary 1975 was passed by a majority of 57%, with 42.1% of the total electorate turning out.

Soooo a vote of less than a quarter of the populace gets to dissolve several centuries of unity? Can't see anyone complaining about that now. Not that I'm inherent opposed to the premise, it just seems odd that that's taken as an unassailable mandate.

Also the next day has the act of union repelled? No negotiation over shared assets or anything?
 
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Soooo a vote of less than a quarter of the populace gets to dissolve several centuries of unity? Can't see anyone complaining about that now. Not that I'm inherent opposed to the premise, it just seems odd that that's taken as an unassailable mandate.

Also the next day has the act of union repelled? No negotiation over shared assets or anything?

As to the turnout......:eek: Read 82.1%

As to the negotiations, I didnt want to get bogged down in technicalities, I would say sopmmit similar to my British Divorce timeline in FH(where I go into the techncalities and pretty much am going to ignore the outcome) If anyting as it is pre-privatisation it should be easier. As to being overnight, the election was early October, the referendum is in mid-Febuary. Suffice to say negotiations went on in that period.
Detroitman32 said:
I'm American, but I'm curious, was there that much support for this back then? Why is the Prime Minister called the Chancellor, and what is the currency?
In OTL, the SNP were backed by 30% of the electorate and gained eleven seats. During the '74 campaign there wasa scare campaign put out vis a vis the state of an independent Scotland by the Labour Party which worked in effect. Recent documents released under the secrets act have shown that the Government lied. I expect they would have been political dynamite and pushed the SNP to victory. A seventies Zinoviev letter if you like. There is a link in the OP.

As to the Chancllor=PM bitty, one of the lewading posts of the pre-Union Scottish Parliament was Lord High Chancellor, I simply dropped the Lord High.....
Glenn67 said:
This will butterfly away at least Malcolm Rifkind's tenure as Foreign Secretary (under John Major) and Gordon Brown as Prime Minister.
No Rifkind! great innit! ;):D

That being said expect Rifkind and Brown to play a role in the TL. Remember Thatcher has not destroyed the Scottish Tories in ttl.
 
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