If you’ve ever been to Scotland, or seen Braveheart, you’ll know that the Scots and the English aren’t the best of friends. Scotland currently operates under its own set of laws, and has a devolved government in Edinburgh, but it is now looking at making things a little more permanent.

This is actually a big deal, and worth looking at in more detail.

Under the current devolved government system that’s in place, Scotland has control over its own health, education and prisons. It also has its own legal system, different from the English common law system. Government still remains largely under the control of central UK government in Westminster. What is now being proposed is a referendum to seek complete independence from the United Kingdom and the Westminster government in England. Scotland office minister, David Mundell said the following to Sky News yesterday:

What will happen is that Westminster will devolve the power to the Scottish Parliament to hold a single-question referendum on whether Scotland should be in or out of the United Kingdom. We anticipate that happening in autumn 2014.

A vote in favour of independence will bring to an end a 300 year union, and as is expected there is a lot of mixed feeling about the proposal. Currently polls are suggesting that between 30 and 40 percent of Scots support independence, but there is still some time before the referendum, which is set to coincide with the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, a famous victory by the Scots over the English. Sneaky.

David Cameron is arguing that the move is a bad idea, a stance that may or may not be influenced by the massive oil reserves in the North Sea.

[Source: Reuters]