The fighting spirit of Scotland

By John DiLorenzo ‘24

Scotland is a nation with a long, proud history and a people that are recognized across the world.

Famous for their popular, and iconic figures, such as, the late great Sean Connery, Braveheart, and hundreds of other Scottish actors, actresses, icons, and characters. Famous for their accents, food, sports, and inventions. Yet Scotland itself is not a free nation. The Scotts have a long history with England that was full of war, bloodshed, and conflict. 

Throughout the 13th century, the monarchs of England somewhat occupied Scotland. The Scotts faced incredible amounts of unjust treatment by the English over the years, such as the 1746 Dress Act, which tried to eliminate Gaelic culture in the Scottish highlands, the desolation of the Scottish mining and shipbuilding industries by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and many moreThe Scotts and the English were at war for centuries. In the early 17th century, James Stuart VI, a Scotsman, occupied the English and Scottish throne simultaneously. From then on, the English and Scottish relationship has been one of disagreement as opposed to war.

In 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was created, after the Kingdom of Scotland and England merged. Queen Anne was the first and the last Scottish-born monarch of the United Kingdom. Since her reign ended in 1714, the United Kingdom has been ruled by an English monarch. 

During the late 18th and early 19th century, the Scottish Enlightenment, and the Scottish industrial revolution, had begun. This sparked an age where the Scottish population created many important inventions such as the telephone, penicillin, the television, and many breakthroughs in shipbuilding and engineering. Ever since the Scottish enlightenment, the Scottish population has been recognized to be well-educated and well-versed in history and literature, mainly because 25% of the population have a full university degree or an equal qualification.

Patrick McMahon, a native Scot, a former English premier league footballer, and former head advertiser for Fred Meyers Grocers, had much to say when it came to the independence of his homeland and what he believes the future holds for Scotland and its relationship to England.

McMahon was born after World War II in the town of Croy, a small Scottish mining village. He moved to Portland after his English football career. He is married and has two boys in college.

Scotland has geographical and cultural similarities to England, however, their opinions concerning the world couldn’t be more different, explains McMahon. “Scotland and its people are very worldly and interested in exploring other cultures and thoughts. Most of England wishes to be economically independent of the EU and to tighten its borders,” said McMahon. 

One of the topics that is usually discussed throughout Scotland's history is the Scottish people's resilience.  “There was a Pakistani man in my town, who started selling scraps. After a while, he got enough earnings to purchase a van, to sell those supplies. After some more time he earned enough to purchase a unit in Glasgow. Now, he is an extremely successful businessman,” said McMahon.

The issue of independence has always been prevalent throughout the history of Scotland. It is a dream that many Scots believe they will eventually achieve. In 2014, Scotland had their first Independence Referendum, in which 55.3% of the nation voted to stay in the United Kingdom.

In 2016, the Scottish National Party re-elected Nicola Sturgeon as the First Minister of Scotland, a politician famed for her strong views of independence in Scotland. She and the Scottish National Party claim that there will be a second referendum in the coming year. However, many Scots aren't happy with Sturgeon’s handling of the independence movement. 

“Nicola Sturgeon is a good politician, but she doesn't have the inspirational personality that you need to lead a newly founded nation,” said McMahon.

This choice of referendum time is mainly due to Britain leaving the European Union (EU). In the Brexit vote, every Scottish county voted to stay in the EU as did 55% of Northern Ireland, and most urban British counties. A large reason for Scottish support being so high, when it comes to staying in the EU, is due to Scots believing they can grow their population and grow their economy with the help of the EU. 

“Being part of the UK holds Scotland back. We have a highly educated youth, a growing tech presence, and we have a higher GDP than many countries in the EU,” said McMahon. 

One of the largest reasons for Scotland having so many referendum movements was not only the cultural differences between the Scots and the Brits, but also the ending relationship between the UK and the EU. Another incident that furthered the support for Scottish independence was the UK’s handling response to COVID-19. Many Scots oppose how Prime Minister Boris Johnson has handled the crisis.

Most news sources and political scientists predict that the majority of Scotland will vote for independence at the next referendum. This news is concerning for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has spoken against the independence movement multiple times. 

“If Scotland leaves the UK, it could inspire an independence of Northern Ireland, and would result in the UK losing the control over a growing nation with very inventive people,” said McMahon.

One of the more complicated issues of this departure from the UK is that Scotland can’t just leave. British laws demand that to leave the UK, a country must follow the right voting procedures and legally get approval from parliament. Sturgeon is asking for the UK government to agree to a transfer of power so that Scotland could legally and in good terms leave the UK. 

“This is a family battle. Scotland, England, we are different cultures united under a similar culture. There won't be any bad blood,” said McMahon.

In Scotland, most of the support for independence is coming from young people. The older generations of Scotland aren't as focused on independence. 

“The older generations have a ‘lost cause’ feeling toward it all because they have seen independence try and fail many times. But the young people do not have that chip on their shoulders because to them, it’s not about holding grievance towards the Brits, it’s about furthering Scotland,” said McMahon.

McMahon shared his Scottish pride fondly. 

“I remember walking through my town seeing Hadrian’s Wall, singing melodies, and reading great Scottish poems,” said McMahon. 

Even with all the tension and large implications to the world, such as trade, the EU’s strength, and freedom as a whole, we all must remember that more unites us than divides us, and even with our different cultures, languages, and opinions, we all are human, and we are all mutually beneficial to our collective success.