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THE DISUNITED KINGDOMEnglish social studies 2008
More at this webpage: http://annmic.wordpress.com/
THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NOTHERN IRELAND
Name adopted in 1927.
England is the oldest country
In the 13th century Wales was united with England
Scotland 1707
Ireland in 1801.
… The major part of Ireland got full independence in 1922
… 6 northern counties remain in union as Nothern Ireland
CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY
One of the oldest democracies in the world
Constitutional monarchy since the 13th century.
… That the monarchy has limited power
No written constitution
2 important adoptions securing the power of parliament
… Magna Carta (1215)
… Bill of Rights (1689)
DEVOLUTION
The labor party came to power in 1997 with devolution as one of its key policies
Devolution means the transferring of power from central government to regional or local authorities
Following a referendum in 1999 on the matter of devolution Wales, Scotland and Nothern Ireland now have their own national assemblies.
Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly.
THE ROOTS OF NATIONAL DIVERSITY
AD 410 the Romans left Britain
Britain's Celtic inhabitants were invaded by Angles, Saxons and Jutes
700 AD most of Britain’s Celtic speakers were confined to the far west (present day Wales and Cornwall) as well as the north where the Roman Empire never reached and the Gales were the dominant group
Followed by the invasion of Vikings and the Normans bringing new culture and linguistic input
SEPARATE NATIONAL IDENTITIES
The English
The Scots
The Welsh
… Still feel different from each other
Rule Britannia – First in 1740 (james thomson)
England and Wales – treaty 1536
England and Scotland treaty 1707
… Different education, church, laws
… Parliament the same
CREATING A NEW NATION
The Stuarts reign
Queen Anne (1702-14) 18 pregnancies – five children
Protestants – fear of Catholics
George 1 from Germany
… A united Kingdom fought off Jacobites
… Most famous “Charles Edward Stuart” the battle of Culloden Moor “in Scotland
GREAT BRITAIN A PROTESTANT NATION
Struggling towards an imperial ambition
Ireland and some land in North America
Scotland disaster Panama, England pays costs
Try to compete with Spain, Portugal, France and Holland
British empire (Scotland many famous empire-builders)
… David Livingstone, Mungo Park, James Ross, Tomas Cochrane, Thomas Brisbane
IRELAND'S ROLE
Different from the other nations
Treated like a colony because of the separation of the Irish sea.
Officially incorporated into the Untied Kingdom in 1801
Catholic traditions suppressed
SCOTLAND
Election of 2007 The Scottish Nationalist Party won the election
SNP’s goal is independence for Scotland
A 1997 poll asked the Scots: do you feel more Scottish or British? 63 % Scottish
SNP’s policy was then to go for devolution as a temporary stage on the road to full independence
The Scottish parliament of 1997 to deal with health, prisons, education.
NO LONGER… GREAT BRITAIN?
Polls show an increasing number of Britons no longer feel primarily British
No more a common project?
… Religion
… The Empire
… The enemies
… The monarchy
NATIONALISM AND DEVOLUTION
The republic of Ireland independent since 1922 has blossomed as a result of EU membership.
Margaret Thatcher – unemployment in urban Scotland and Wales, miners strike
Labour party – devolution as its core policies
… Referenda in Wales and Scotland setting up the Scottish parliament and the Welsh Assembly
Northern Ireland divided between the majority protestant population and the Republicans or Nationalists, mostly Catholic.
2007 the new Northern Ireland Assembly - power sharing
ENGLISHNESS
An English national identity
Union Jack – the red and white cross of St. George
West Lothian Question
… Welsh Assembly, Scottish parliament
Scottish parliament 2007 – the Scottish national Party the largest
… SNP wants to keep an independent Scotland in the European Union
Wales Plaid Cymru the biggest opposition facing labour
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
Uk’s position in the Security Council at the United Nations
Nuclear deterrent
British army
Monarchy?