Independence First
Encyclopedia
Political movement
A political movement is a social movement in the area of politics. A political movement may be organized around a single issue or set of issues, or around a set of shared concerns of a social group...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, first proposed through internet discussions in September 2004, then formally constituted on 19 February 2005. It is an umbrella group for various supporters of a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on Scottish independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
and the creation of a sovereign state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
of Scotland.
Purpose
Independence First was established to be a single issue campaign, uniting supporters of many political backgrounds and none in support of a Scotland-wide referendum on Scottish independenceScottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
and to campaign for popular approval for Scotland leaving the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The organisation claims to have supporters from the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, a party which is officially opposed to a Scottish independence referendum and is thus considered Unionist
Unionists (Scotland)
Unionism in Scotland is the belief in that Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom in its present structure as one of the countries of the United Kingdom. There are many strands of political Unionism in Scotland, as well as sympathisers with Unionism in Northern Ireland...
in outlook by referendum supporters.
The organisation aims to be a broad church
Broad church
Broad church is a term referring to latitudinarian churchmanship in the Church of England, in particular, and Anglicanism, in general. From this, the term is often used to refer to secular political organisations, meaning that they encompass a broad range of opinion.-Usage:After the terms high...
, and as such does not state an opinion on potentially divisive issues which would arise following a secession from the United Kingdom such as membership of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, whether the state becomes a monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
or a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
with an elected president.
Support
Independence First are supported officially by the Scottish Green PartyScottish Green Party
The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone, representing Lothian, and Patrick Harvie, for Glasgow.-Organisation:...
and a number of Members of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
including Tommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan is a Scottish socialist politician. He has had various prominent roles within the socialist movement in Scotland and is currently one of two co-convenors of the left-wing Scottish political party Solidarity....
MSP (Solidarity, former leader of the Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing Scottish political party. Positioning itself significantly to the left of Scotland's centre-left parties, the SSP campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence....
(SSP)), Sandra White
Sandra White
Sandra White is a Scottish politician, the Scottish National Party MSP for the Glasgow Kelvin constituency. She was previously a list MSP for the Glasgow electoral region from 1999....
MSP (Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP)) and Campbell Martin MSP (Independent).
Other groups and individuals who have given their support include the Celtic League
Celtic League (political organisation)
The Celtic League is a non-governmental organisation that promotes self-determination and Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man, known as the Celtic nations. It places particular emphasis on the indigenous Celtic languages...
, David R. Ross, Lloyd Quinan
Lloyd Quinan
Lloyd Quinan is a former member of the Scottish Parliament. Born and brought up in Edinburgh he joined the Scottish National Party in 1974. A trained actor, he was a member of the Equity Union, before pursuing a media career as a weatherman and freelance broadcaster...
and Kevin Williamson. They also receive support from minor political parties who are unrepresented in any elected body: the Communist Party of Scotland
Communist Party of Scotland
The Communist Party of Scotland , also known as Pàrtaidh Co-Mhaoineach na h-Alba, was established in 1991 when the Communist Party of Great Britain was disbanded and re-formed as the Democratic Left think-tank. Many Communists in Scotland disagreed with this decision and instead set up the CPS,...
, the Free Scotland Party
Free Scotland Party
The Free Scotland Party is a minor political party in Scotland that stands for an independent Scotland, independent of both the United Kingdom and the European Union....
, the Scottish Enterprise Party
Scottish Enterprise Party
The Scottish Enterprise Party was a Scottish centre-right party supportive of Scottish independence. It was formed in July 2004 to provide an alternative for centrist and right-of-centre voters who support independence....
and the Scottish Independence Party.
Campaigns
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
city centre, also supported by the Independence Convention
Independence Convention
The Independence Convention is a new umbrella grouping for supporters of Scottish independence, also known as Interim Forum for an Independence Convention...
, the SRSM, Siol nan Gaidheal
Siol nan Gaidheal
-Name:The name, properly spelled Sìol nan Gàidheal is Scottish Gaelic for Seed of the Gaels. The term sìol has numerous meanings, most commonly translated as "breed, brood, lineage, progeny, seed"....
, the SSP, Solidarity, the Greens and the SNP. Independence First itself estimated 1,000 marchers turned out although reported numbers inevitably varied.
Independence First held a further march and demonstration in Edinburgh on 31 March 2007.
A number of campaigns have been set up by the organisation. They have written letters to the Government of the United Kingdom and the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
in support of their goals, occasionally with reference to self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
and the United Nations Charter
United Nations Charter
The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the international organization called the United Nations. It was signed at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, United States, on 26 June 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries...
. The Scottish Executive replied, stating that constitutional matters are reserved to the UK Parliament under the terms of the Scotland Act 1998
Scotland Act 1998
The Scotland Act 1998 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is the Act which established the devolved Scottish Parliament.The Act will be amended by the Scotland Bill 2011, if and when it receives royal assent.-History:...
. The Scotland Office
Scotland Office
The Scotland Office is a United Kingdom government department headed by the Secretary of State for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs...
of the UK Government responded citing parliamentary sovereignty
Parliamentary sovereignty
Parliamentary sovereignty is a concept in the constitutional law of some parliamentary democracies. In the concept of parliamentary sovereignty, a legislative body has absolute sovereignty, meaning it is supreme to all other government institutions—including any executive or judicial bodies...
- and that it was solely down to the UK Parliament to grant or refuse any referendums on constitutional issues.
Independence First have also been involved in helping organise the Independence Convention
Independence Convention
The Independence Convention is a new umbrella grouping for supporters of Scottish independence, also known as Interim Forum for an Independence Convention...
which launched in 2005.
Public Petition
Independence First launched an e-petition through the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
website which gained over 1300 signatures but was subsequently rejected by the Public Petitions Committee in November 2006, voting six to three to note the position and close it with no further action.
Justifications and legality
The organisation seeks to hold a referendumReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on the matter of Scottish independence due to its belief that elections to the Scottish and British parliaments are insufficient in indicating support for their cause.
Independence First recently wrote to both the UK Government and the Scottish Parliament demanding a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
for the people of Scotland on independence. The Scottish Parliament replied: “The Scotland Act 1998 sets out the statutory framework for the Scottish devolution settlement. Schedule 5 to the Act defines matters which are reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament.”
“The devolution settlement and constitutional matters generally are reserved matters under the Act. The Government of the United Kingdom is responsible therefore for considering any fundamental changes to the existing devolution framework in Scotland.”
The Scotland Office
Scotland Office
The Scotland Office is a United Kingdom government department headed by the Secretary of State for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs...
replied “It is worth noting that in the UK political system the UK parliament is sovereign and it is for Parliament to decide whether or not to hold a referendum on any particular issue - and what the terms of any referendum should be.”
The spokesman added: ”This is simply not accurate, in England Parliament is sovereign, but in Scotland the people are sovereign.
However these claims conflict with current thinking on the matter in relation to the constitution in Scotland (see: parliamentary sovereignty) and ignore the doctrine of territorial integrity
Territorial integrity
Territorial integrity is the principle under international law that nation-states should not attempt to promote secessionist movements or to promote border changes in other nation-states...
in international law. While the former concept has some support in law in the form of a dissenting opinion in MacCormick v. Lord Advocate
MacCormick v. Lord Advocate
MacCormick v Lord Advocate was a Scottish legal action in which John MacCormick and Ian Hamilton contested the right of Queen Elizabeth II to style herself ‘Elizabeth II’ within Scotland...
, the second matter relating to international law has never been concluded by any international body.