Scotland Launches Independence Bid

Supporters of Scottish Independence will launch what they say is the biggest grassroots campaign in Scottish history on Friday in an effort break Scotland’s 305-year-old union with England.

Seeking to tap into a cocktail of historical rivalry, opposing political tastes, and a perception that the British parliament in London does not represent or support Scotland's interests, the "Yes Scotland" campaign says it wants to win a referendum on independence in 2014, and plan for full independence to be achieved within two years after that.

History runs deep in Scotland and, symbolically, the independence referendum will be held on the 700th anniversary of the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn in which an army commanded by England's King Edward II was roundly defeated at the hands of a smaller force led by Robert the Bruce, a source of enduring pride for Scottish patriots and the subject of the pro-Scottish film “Braveheart.”

"For the first time the issue is real because people are going to have a vote," said a spokesman for the campaign, speaking on the condition of anonymity with Reuters News Service. "People are more open to this than they have ever been before. It is fundamentally better for our future if decisions about Scotland are taken by the people who care about it the most."

The Scottish National Party, under party leader Alex Salmond, has recently made significant gains in Scotland. The SNP won a majority of seats in last year’s elections for the Scotish Parliament, and has control over Scotland’s health, education and penal system. Current opinion polls show that around 40 percent of Scots favor independence, 50% oppose, and 10% remain undecided. In addition to SNP supporters, former Scottish Labour Party Member of Parliament Dennis Canavan will be among the keynote speakers at the launch of the Yes campaign. Canavan served as an MP for 26 years.

If successful, Scottish independence could create serious problems for Britain. Britain's Trident nuclear submarine fleet is based in Scotland, revenues from Scottish North Sea oil remain important to its coffers, and analysts say Britain would find it harder to maintain its voice at international bodies such as the U.N. Security Council as well as in European Union decision-making.

"The biggest issue for the UK is defense," Professor John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde said in a phone interview. "The question would be whether an independent Scotland would allow the UK to maintain its nuclear facilities there." Salmond wants Scotland to have its own armed forces and foreign policy and rejects a nuclear submarine facility based close to Glasgow.
In addition, said Curtice, “The rest of the world would be surprised and shocked that the UK was unable to hold together. It would not be perceived to be as big a player as it is now. Its weight in the world would be diminished."

The SNP-backed launch of the “Yes Scotland” campaign will take place at a conference centre on Friday in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, and will be attended by pro-independence celebrities whose names have not been revealed. One of Scotland's most high-profile celebrity supporters of independence is Sean Connery, famous for his cinematic depiction of British secret service agent James Bond. The same campaign spokesman declined to confirm whether Connery would attend.

Scotland historically is more inclined to vote for leftist parties, whereas English voters have voted in much larger numbers for Tories, underscoring a long-standing political fault line between north and south. Many Scots, while having personal ties with the US, were furious at what they saw as former prime minister Tony Blair's support of U.S. President Bush and his foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan.

(Sources: Reuters News Service, reporters Tully Fitzsimmons and Ian MacKenzie, and editior Michael Roddy )

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