1707 - An Invalid Union
In 1707 the Union of Parliaments of Scotland and England was forced through by English bribes and under threat of armed invasion. The Treaty of Union is a disgraceful commercialist document and should never be regarded as a Scottish "constitution".
In Scotland the Treaty was never ratified by the Scots Parliament, not having received a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. Throughout Scotland there were major riots, and Daniel Defoe (an English spy in Edinburgh) observed that the people were one hundred to one against it.
Since 1707 there have been numerous breaches of this Treaty, which lead inevitably to the conclusion that the treaty has become void and invalid.
- Article VI, protected Scots agriculture from overseas competition. Yet this was initially broken in 1846 with the Repeal of the Corn Laws.
- Article VII, "the same excises upon all excisable liquors". Excise duty discriminates against Scotch whisky and favours imported wines and beer.
- Article VIII, equality for export of cured fish. However, the British Govt sacrificed the largest part of Scots European trade, that with Russia, to satisfy English Anti-Bolshevism (c1918).
- Article XVI, preservation of a Scottish Mint. Now abolished, with the monopolistic position of The Bank of England having supremacy over Scots banks.
- Article XXII, rights of Scottish Royal Burghs to remain. Abolished under local Govt reform in the 1920s and 1970s.
- Article XVIII, taxes in England and Scotland to be the same. The Poll Tax (1989) illegally introduced a tax on Scotland that was not applicable in England.
- Introduction of the English Law of Treason and the removal of Jacobites to stand trial in England.
Out of the original 25 Articles of the Treaty, 9 have been wholly repealed by Westminster, and 5 have been materially altered.
After the loss of her Parliament in 1707, Scotland, because of England's wars, lost most of her trade with European countries.
Due to punitive taxes and Westminster indifference, indigenous Scots whisky and fishing industries have suffered increasingly in recent years.
Only an Independent sovereign Scottish Parliament will stand up for Scotland's interests. Only the Scottish National Party (SNP) promise such a future.
If you have any comments (good or bad) on these pages contact
hamish@rmplc.co.uk.
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