Scottish Republicanism
Scottish republicanism () or republicanism in Scotland is an ideology based on the belief that Scotland should be a republic; the nation is currently a monarchy as part of the United Kingdom. Republicanism is associated with Scottish nationalism and the Scottish independence movement, but also with British republicanism and the movement for federalism in the United Kingdom. History Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun is one of the most prominent pre-Union advocates of a Scottish republic, based on agrarian and patriarchal principles. He was a major inspiration to Scottish Enlightenment philosopher Adam Ferguson, whose republican ideals were penned down in ''An Essay on the History of Civil Society'' (1767). One of the foremost documentations of modern Scottish republicanism is the Declaration of Calton Hill, proclaimed on 9 October 2004, the same day that Queen Elizabeth II opened the new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood. In the run-up to the 2014 independence referendum ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Flag Of Scotland
The flag of Scotland (; , also known as St Andrew's Cross or the Saltire) is the national flag of Scotland, which consists of a white saltire Defacement (flag), defacing a blue field. The Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, is the correct flag for all private individuals and corporate bodies to fly. It is also, where possible, flown from Scottish Government buildings every day from 8:00 am until sunset, with certain exceptions. Use of the flag is first recorded with the illustration of a heraldic flag in David Lyndsay, Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount's ''Register of Scottish Arms,'' . It is possible that this is based on a precedent of the late 15th century, the use of a white saltire in the canton of a blue flag reputedly made by Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland, Queen Margaret, wife of James III of Scotland, James III (1451–1488). Design The heraldry, heraldic term for an X-shaped cross is a 'saltire', from the old French word or (itself derived ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2014 Scottish Independence Referendum
A independence referendum, referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom was held in Scotland on 18 September 2014. The referendum question was "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No". The "No" side won with 2,001,926 (55.3%) voting against independence and 1,617,989 (44.7%) voting in favour. The turnout of 84.6% was the highest recorded for an election or referendum in the United Kingdom since the January 1910 general election, which was held before the introduction of universal suffrage. The Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013 set out the arrangements for the referendum and was passed by the Scottish Parliament in November 2013, following an Edinburgh Agreement (2012), agreement between the devolved Scottish government and the Government of the United Kingdom. The independence proposal required a simple majority to pass. All European Union (EU) or Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth citizens residing in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Humza Yousaf
Humza Haroon Yousaf (; born 7 April 1985) is a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from March 2023 to May 2024. He served under his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish Justice Secretary, justice secretary from 2018 to 2021 and then as Scottish Health Secretary, health secretary from 2021 to 2023. He has been Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Pollok (Scottish Parliament constituency), Glasgow Pollok since 2016, having previously been a Scottish Parliament constituencies and electoral regions, regional MSP for Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region), Glasgow from 2011 to 2016. Born to Pakistani immigrants in Glasgow, Yousaf studied politics at the University of Glasgow, before working as a parliamentary assistant for Bashir Ahmad (Scottish politician), Bashir Ahmad, the first Muslim and the first Immigrant generations, second-generation immigrant elected to the Scottish Parliament ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tommy Sheppard (politician)
Tommy Sheppard (born 6 March 1959) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Edinburgh East from 2015 United Kingdom general election, 2015 until the seat's abolition in 2024. He has been SNP Spokesperson for Scotland since 2023. He is a former SNP spokesperson for the Cabinet Office and a former SNP Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. He is also known for founding The Stand Comedy Clubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Early life and education Tommy Sheppard was born on 6 March 1959 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, and moved to nearby Portstewart at the age of seven. He was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution before attending the University of Aberdeen to study medicine. He graduated with a degree in politics and sociology in 1982; in the same year he was elected vice-president of the National Union of Students (United Kingdom), National Union of Students (NUS) and moved to London. Politic ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham (born 27 July 1951) is a retired Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform from 2016 to 2021. She was previously Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training from 2014 until 2016. She served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Perth from 1999 to 2011, and then for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire from 2011 to 2021. She was formerly Member of Parliament (MP) for Perth and Kinross from 1995 to 1997, then for Perth from 1997 to 2001. Early life, education and legal practice Cunningham was born on 27 July 1951 in Glasgow to Catherine and Hugh Cunningham, and spent her early years living in East Lothian and Edinburgh. In 1960, she emigrated with her family to Perth in Australia, and completed her schooling at John Curtin High School in Fremantle. As a teenager she became interested in politics, and in 1969 joined the SNP as an overseas member. In 1975 Cunn ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations that has the same constitutional monarch and head of state as the other realms. The current monarch is King Charles III. Except for the United Kingdom, in each of the realms the monarch is represented by a governor-general. The phrase ''Commonwealth realm'' is an informal description not used in any law. , there are 15 Commonwealth realms: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Realm of New Zealand, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and the United Kingdom. While the Commonwealth of Nations has 56 member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, independent member states, only these 15 have Charles III as head of state. He is also Head of the Commonwealth, a non-constitutional role. The notion of these states sharing the same person as their monarch traces back to 1867 when Cana ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. It is represented by 419 of the 1,227 local councillors across Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom and for Scotland's membership in the European Union, with a platform based on progressive social policies and civic nationalism. Founded in 1934 with the amalgamation of the National Party of Scotland and the Scottish Party, the party has had continuous parliamentary List of Scottish National Party MPs, representation in Westminster since Winnie Ewing won the 1967 Hamilton by-election. With the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999, the SNP became the second-largest party, serving two terms as the Opposition (parliamentary), opposition. The SNP gaine ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Union Of The Crowns
The Union of the Crowns (; ) was the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of the Kingdom of England as James I and the practical unification of some functions (such as overseas diplomacy) of the two separate realms under a single individual on 24 March 1603. It followed the death of James's cousin, Elizabeth I of England, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The union was personal or dynastic, with the Crown of England and the Crown of Scotland remaining both distinct and separate despite James's best efforts to create a new imperial throne. England and Scotland continued as two separate states sharing a monarch, who directed their domestic and foreign policies, along with Ireland, until the Acts of Union of 1707 during the reign of the last Stuart monarch, Anne. However, there was a republican interregnum in the 1650s, during which the Tender of Union of Oliver Cromwell created the Commonwealth of England and Scotland which ended with the Stuart Restorati ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Police Scotland
Police Scotland (), officially the Police Service of Scotland (), is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland, as well as the specialist services of the Scottish Police Services Authority, including the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency. Although not formally absorbing it, the merger also resulted in the winding down of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland. Police Scotland is the second-largest police force in the United Kingdom (after the Metropolitan Police) in terms of officer numbers, and by far the largest territorial police force in terms of its geographic area of responsibility. The chief constable is answerable to the Scottish Police Authority, and the force is inspected by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland. Scotland is also policed by the Ministry of Defence Police, British Transport Police, and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary within t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Our Republic
Our Republic is a political campaign for a Scottish republic calling for the abolition of the monarchy. It was founded in 2021. History The organisation was formed in 2021 by activists from a mix of Scottish political parties from members with roots in Scotland, England, Ireland, Canada, the United States, and Lithuania. The following year it was revealed by polling that Scottish support for the monarchy stood at 45%. Activities Our Republic is a political campaign for a Scottish republic calling for the abolition of the monarchy. Reign of Elizabeth II The organisation launched a petition to call for the political oaths sworn by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to be made to the Scottish people rather than the monarchy, after several MSPs said that they were taking the oath under protest. The petition was backed by MSP Emma Roddick and Scottish Greens leader Patrick Harvie. Our Republic expressed solidarity with calls in Jamaica for the United Kingdom to apologise ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mercat Cross, Edinburgh
The Mercat Cross of Edinburgh is a market cross, which stands in Parliament Square, Edinburgh, Parliament Square next to St Giles' Cathedral, facing the Royal Mile#High Street, High Street in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. Description and history The current Mercat Cross, mercat cross is of Victorian era, Victorian origin, but was built close to the site occupied by the original. The Cross is first mentioned in a charter of 1365 which indicates that it stood on the south side of the High Street about from the east end of St. Giles'. In 1617, it was moved to a position a few yards (metres) down the High Street now marked by "an octagonal arrangement of cobble stones" (actually Sett (paving), setts). This is the position shown on Gordon of Rothiemay's map of 1647 (see external link below). In 1756, the Cross was demolished and parts of the pillar re-erected in the grounds of Drum House, Gilmerton. A monument now stands there and on it a plaque that reads: "Ere ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and became heir apparent when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, acceded to the throne in 1952. He was created Prince of Wales in 1958 and Investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales, his investiture was held in 1969. He was educated at Cheam School and Gordonstoun, and later spent six months at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After completing a history degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976. In 1981, Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, he married Lady Diana Spencer. They had two sons, William, Prince of Wales, William and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Harry. After years of estrangement, Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |