The Isles.

The following is my third attempt at this timeline. I have changed the name as the more I thought about it, the wider the scope I wanted to give to it. In reality, the October 1974 election was won by Labour with a majority of three votes. In this timeline, that majority vanishes as the SNP make five more gains, which was seriously possible given the amount of seats the parties were level pegging on, following a poorer campaign by Labour in Scotland as the SNP pounce on a string of gaffes by Labour Mps opposed to devolution. This is pounced upon giving the nationalists 16 seats in Westminster.

Matters get worse as during the winter of 1974-75, Wilson is pushed by the Nationalists to put forward his devolution bill forward as a token of their support for the government. As in reality, the opening bill is forced down after the government attempt to push it through in a guillotine motion,. The following day, the McCrone report on the effects of oil on an independent Scotland is leaked to the SNP, who promptly release it to the Scottish media, announcing that the very fact it was marked down as secret and that an attempt was made to hide it for twenty-five years as happened in reality, combined with devolution being voted down, meant that they felt the government was not acting in the interests of Scotland.

This led to them calling on a vote of confidence in the Labour government in April 1975, which is won by the Labour, who won in England, but with the SNP winning a majority of the Scottish seats(38) and 44% of the Scottish vote. As a result, Wilson accepts that Scotland voted nationalist and calls for a referendum in Scotland on the subject of Scottish independence. Parliament backs it, upon the proviso that it would only be held after negotiations between a team picked by Wilson and a team picked by the nationalists. This gives a timescale on negotiations of between June-October.

The negotiations are far from smooth, but by September, a raft of measures have been put in place for the end of the Anglo-Scottish union. On November 18th 1976, Scotland votes by a margin of 60%-40% to leave the United Kingdom. The date of independence is set for May 1st.

Amidst all the issues regarding the union between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, there is another periodic outbreak of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. This causes Wilson to put into effect the Doomsday plan, which was hatched in reality by Wilson, but never enacted. Scottish independence gives him the chance to act upon it. In this plan, Northern Ireland would be turned into an independent Dominion.

This is controversially pushed through Parliament with a three-line whip on a guillotine motion. It carries by a majority of one(the SNP and Plaid Cymru do not vote). The government position it as a way of Northern Ireland being able to deal with its own affairs. As a result Northern Ireland is to also leave the union on May 1st. Calls grow in Wales for Welsh devolution or independence, but they are, for the time being ignored.

What began as the timeline Flower of Scotland, which was going to be a timeline directly dealing with an independent Scotland is now going to be something much more ambitious. Although, due to my interest in Scottish politics more than anything else, it will mainly concentrate on an independent Scotland, it is going to deal with all of the Isles during a time of great upheaval. It will be a tale of post-Imperial Britain.

Thus the title.

The Isles.

First chapter coming soon.

I hope you enjoy.

Doomsday Plan.
McCrone Report.
 
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Ah Wilson, that crafty dog :p
As NI is being abandoned, a few things for consideration.
1) Ireland had plans to invade around this time.
2) The IRA, and connected paramilitaries, were much better at gueriila warfare than the Loyalists. That's not republicanism talking, they'd had centuries of practice. The Loyalist paramilitaries however would fight in the conventional style, and get massacered...

Looking forward to this :D
 
Ah Wilson, that crafty dog :p
As NI is being abandoned, a few things for consideration.
1) Ireland had plans to invade around this time.
2) The IRA, and connected paramilitaries, were much better at gueriila warfare than the Loyalists. That's not republicanism talking, they'd had centuries of practice. The Loyalist paramilitaries however would fight in the conventional style, and get massacered...

Looking forward to this :D
Dont mention the civil war.;)
 
First things first, here are the terms for the two new nations.

Terms agreed for the independent Scottish State.(Important Points)
1) The land borders would consist of mainland Scotland, excluding Berwick, including the Western Isles, including the Orkney and Shetland Islands.
2) The marine border would be as agreed in the 1968 Continental Shelf(Jurisdiction)Order. As such, 94% of the North Sea Oil falls within Scottish waters.
3)The Scottish Government agree to pay off, in full the production costs of companies exploration costs in the North Sea before gaining any income from taxation in North Sea Oil.
4) Border between Scotland and the United Kingdom to remain open.
5) Defence. Scotland gets small share of defence infrastructure, but lower than it would be entitled to. Royal Navy to leave Faslane to after a period of five years. Scotland to leave NATO, but US bases within Scotland to remain open until further agreement.
6) Scots Pound to be established over the course of two years, during which time Scotland would remain in Sterling.
7) Scotland to remain outside the European Economic Community.
8) Scotland would take share of nationalised industries within Scotland. With respect Rolls-Royce, agreement to be made that Scottish government would subsidise production in Glasgow factory.
9) British Airways, 5% of fleet to be handed over to create new Scottish Airways.
10) All residents in Scotland would become Scottish citizens unless they object. All people born in Scotland but resident in the rest of the UK would have option of nationality, as would their spouses and children if they are married.
11) Scotland would waive her portion of the Bank of England in exchange for a smaller portion as a percentage of the national debt. Central Bank of Scotland to be founded.
12) Scotland would take smaller portion of British Armed Forces that population would entitle her to. All Scots in UK forces have option of remaining in UK forces or, if position available, service in Scottish forces. They would also have the option of leaving service.
13) BBC in Scotland to be replaced by the SBC. STV and Grampian to leave ITV network. Border TV to remain, but to have separate news broadcasts for Scotland and England.

Terms for the independence of Northern Ireland.(important points)
1) The land borders would consist of the landmass of Northern Ireland that was previously in the United Kingdom.
2) The marine border would be as agreed in the 1968 Continental Shelf(Jurisdiction)Order.
3) Northern Ireland gets a larger share of the defence infrastructure than it would be entitled to, given the internal threats therin.
4) Northern Ireland to remain in Sterling for period of five years, after which an Ulster Pound would be created, linked to Sterling.
5) Northern Ireland to remain outside the Common Market.
6) Northern Ireland would take share of nationalised industries within Province.
7) All residents in Northern Ireland would become NI citizens unless they object. All people born in the Province but resident in the rest of the UK would have option of nationality, as would their spouses and children if they are married.
8) NI would waive her portion of the Bank of England in exchange for a smaller portion as a percentage of the national debt. Northern Irish Central Bank to be founded.
9) BBC in NI to be replaced by the UBC. UTV to remain.
10) UK Government promises to protect NI in event of external invasion.
11) UK troop presence to be phased out within NI over the space of three years from 1st May 1976.
 
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But the Western Isles are part of Scotland at present!
I know! The reason I added was that during the 1977 devolution debate which I have been reading recently, there were some insane calls from several anti-devolution MPs to get them classifield as not part of Scotland. As such, I felt the need to put it in.

No biggie.
 
I know! The reason I added was that during the 1977 devolution debate which I have been reading recently, there were some insane calls from several anti-devolution MPs to get them classifield as not part of Scotland. As such, I felt the need to put it in.

No biggie.

So what would the Western Islands be if not part of Scotland? Part of NI? Part of England?
 
I see why I got confused. I read:

The land borders would consist of mainland Scotland, excluding Berwick and the Islands, including the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

As being that:

- The borders of Scotland would consist of mainland Scotland

- Excluding Berwick and "the Islands" (which I thought was a geographic area I wasn't aware of)

- Including the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

But now I see it's actually quite clear and I'm being an idiot. :eek:
 
So what would the Western Islands be if not part of Scotland? Part of NI? Part of England?
They will be part of Scotland. They have no history under another part of another part of the UK.

I want to clarify this.

I was probably reading too much into this aspect of the devolution debate in the seventies when calls were seriously made by backbench MPs to state that if Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles voted no, then they would not be subject to devolution even if devolution was enacted.

I probably should have simply said the boundaries would be Scotland excluding Berwick, but I got caught up in the the seventies devolution debate.

EDIT: :eek: Typo on my part. I can see why you got confused SE, I would have thought the same thing. Consider it edited.

Any other thoughts on either the Scottish or NI terms?
 
They will be part of Scotland. They have no history under another part of another part of the UK.

I want to clarify this.

I was probably reading too much into this aspect of the devolution debate in the seventies when calls were seriously made by backbench MPs to state that if Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles voted no, then they would not be subject to devolution even if devolution was enacted.

I probably should have simply said the boundaries would be Scotland excluding Berwick, but I got caught up in the the seventies devolution debate.
No its all right, I was just wondering what the Tories would try to debate about them.
 
No its all right, I was just wondering what the Tories would try to debate about them.
Both Labour and the Tories were divided over devolution. It was Thatcher that turned the Tories firmly into the no camp. Characters such as Malcolm Rifkind were prominent in the yes campaign.

It was backbench Labour MPs(including Scottish Labour MPs) as much as anti-devolutionist Tories in an effort to get the Scots to vote no.
 
Both Labour and the Tories were divided over devolution. It was Thatcher that turned the Tories firmly into the no camp. Characters such as Malcolm Rifkind were prominent in the yes campaign.

It was backbench Labour MPs(including Scottish Labour MPs) as much as anti-devolutionist Tories in an effort to get the Scots to vote no.

Just like the EEC arguement then?
 
Just like the EEC arguement then?
Pretty much.

First full chapter up tommorow around eight o'clock, failing my internet crashing. I'm rewriting a bit about independence day in Belfast at the moment.

stateless englishman said:
Will British citizens resident in Scotland be eligible to vote in Scottish elections, as they are in Ireland?

And has Scotland also inherited Britain's claim to Rockall?
Yes, they can vote.

As to Rockall, yes. Scotland has inherited the claim to an empty rock. :D
Todyo1798 at the next post down said:
What Fletch said...
:D
 
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May-December 1976.
Independence day could hardly have been any different for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Across Scotland, May 1st was met with wild celebrations and international attention. In Northern Ireland, the international attention was there due to the fact there were no celebrations. Indeed, the tension on the streets of Belfast, Londonderry, Armagh could be cut with a knife. The fact that English soldiers continued to patrol the streets was another factor in the tension. Through some miracle though, the tensions never erupted into violence in the streets.

Over the first few months of independence as the new Scottish government settled in at their new home, New Parliament House on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, the opening priorities of the new nationalist regime was to arrange for the first Scottish General Election, whilst at the same time establishing a Constitutional Convention, which would oversee the type of constitutional arrangement would be put in place for the new nation.

Unfortunately, the first real task was at hand for the new regime, with the Cod Wars ongoing with Iceland. Scotland was forced to use both frigates it had gained as part of the defence of the Scottish fishing fleet against the Icelanders. By the end of June, the Icelandic government of Geir Hallgrímsson stated that unless the Scots accepted the Icelandic position, the NATO base at Keflavik would be closed down. Wolfe stated bluntly that as Scotland was not in NATO, if this was to force international pressure, and the Scots were forced to back down, RScAF Machrahanish would also be closed.

This game of diplomatic pressure forced the US Government to intervene, and it was agreed that talks were to be called, to be held in Norway between June and September of the year.

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland the situation worsened as the summer went on. During the marching season, the government of Harry West came out strongly in favour of the marchers, giving the Orangemen in places like Drumcree government support at the expense of the local population, even affording them an RUC cordon to ensure the march went off smoothly. This caused an increase in nationalist sentiment however an the feeling was in the air that things could explode at any moment.

This prediction was to come true on August 19th, the day after the last UK troops left Northern Ireland. In a co-ordinated assault, four cabinet ministers were murdered by the IRA and five bombs went off in loyalist areas. A press release was given to the New York Times declaring that the Provisional IRA was to take arms against ‘he illegitimate government in the north of Ireland’.

In England, things were hardly going smoothly either. In March, Wilson lost his majority in the Commons after a by-election defeat to the Conservatives. In addition, his party was tearing itself apart over the referendum on the Common Market that was forthcoming as part of the promise that was made during his election victory the previous year. Against the background of Scotland and Northern Ireland leaving the union, there was the beginning of a feeling of English nationalism in the air, giving the no campaign who were running a nationalist campaign a strong advantage.

This led to, by the narrowest of margins, a victory by the no campaign on 5th August, by 50.12%-49.88%. Wilson, defeated and broken resigned as Prime Minister, to be replaced by Peter Shore, who had been a leading figure in the no campaign. Shore, enjoying his honeymoon as Prime Minister, went for broke, calling a general election, the fourth in two years, for October 7th.

This he won with a majority of twenty, defeating the leader of the opposition, Margaret Thatcher, who promptly resigned, to be replaced by Willie Whitelaw.

On September 7th, the negotiations between Scotland and Iceland were completed. It was agreed that the Icelandic fishing rights would be extended to 100 nautical miles, from 50. Both sides claimed triumph as the Icelandic government were initially holding out for 200. This was, however a rare moment of sunshine for the SNP administration. As the year progressed, in the knowledge that the oil would not be coming through for a few years, money was running scarce and unemployment was rising. The government decided to cover this by increasing borrowing whilst at the same time increasing taxation, a move which led to further problems and an even heavier over reliance on the public sector.

The one blessing was that the Clyde was in itself busy, with the shipyards busy working on contracts for the North Sea. The SNP ignored calls to move the industry east to save money, instead subsidising the industry further.

A hassle was also created over the new Central Bank of Scotland, whose headquarters was being built in Holyrood, when it emerged in November that the project was running three times over the expected budget already. When questioned on it in Parliament, Wolfe gave the famous reply “Does the leader of the opposition not trust Scottish bankers?”

The final bill of the year of the new Scottish Parliament was brought about by the Scottish Conservatives in an attempt to be more nationalist than the SNP, they proposed that upon the death of the Queen, any future King or Queen of Scotland must be a citizen of Scotland, and that furthermore the current heir should be declared regent. This passed Parliament narrowly, passing into law by a single vote. The Duke of Fife thus became Regent of Scotland.

In Northern Ireland,. The result of the IRA declaration of war on the government of Northern Ireland led to a heavy handed response by the Northern Irish government. They declared a raft of measures including a compulsory identity card for all Northern Irish citizens, the suspension of habeus corpus for suspected terrorists and the right of search for the RUC in any home. In addition to this, a national service act was declared, of which all Northern Irish males aged 17-19 were expected to take part. Anyone who refused would be put on a suspects list by the administration.

Despite international condemnation, no sanctions were placed on the government as there was genuine abroad for the terrible loss of life in the Shankhill Road and Omagh bombings. The funds for the IRA grew steadily larger across the Atlantic.

This was not to end soon, as was confirmed on Christmas day, when celebrating Christmas day with a stroll outside Hillsborough Castle, Harry West, the first Prime Minister of an independent Northern Ireland was shot dead.
 
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Just to point out, if Scotland became independent, from what I have read, it would be immediately followed by the Orkneys and Shetlands following suit, and declare they were going to take a very substantial part of the oil with them.

It may seem crazy now, but the islanders had very little love for Edinburgh, and there were relatively few SNP supporters.

As a side note, I suspect that you've killed Labour as an electoral force in what is now England. I don't really so how the party won't split in the aftermath, and the Tories will tear them apart at the election. Unionism was still strong in England at this point including among Labour supporters.
 
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