'The Boasted Advantages': The Consequences of the Union of 1707
In 1790 Robert Burns asked what were 'all the boasted advantages which my country reaps from a certain Union that can counterbalance the annihilation of her independence, and even her very name. It was a good question and one which has never been more apposite than at present when the major question facing us in Scotland is whether the Union should be continued or whether we should advance to the normality of independence within Europe.
Burns was right to be sceptical. In the 300 years since 1707 supporters of the Union have argued that it was freely negotiated, that it was a bargain over trade, and that it has brought. and continues to bring great advantages to Scotland. This book examines such theories as these. The Union had both advantages and disadvantages for Scotland, and they have varied from one period to another. Many of the accepted ideas about them are little better than propaganda and are often the opposite of the truth. The effect of this book is to clear away the fog of propaganda and myth so that we can make a rationaljudgment about the best course for Scotland to follow. In 1707 the Union was imposed on Scotland because England regarded it as a strategic necessity in the circumstances of the time. In the very different conditions of today. we are now free to make a new decision. Scotland has the potential to become one of the small independent countries of northern Europe which are among the most prosperous and civilised states in the world. The evidence leads to the conclusion that Scotland's best hope for the future lies in independence in Europe.
PAUL SCOTT was born and educated in Edinburgh and has spent many years abroad as a diplomat. Since his return to Scotland he has taken a very active part in many aspects of Scottish affairs. He has been Rector of Dundee University and President of the Scottish Centre of PEN International and is now President of the Saltire Society. He has been a Vice-President of the Scottish National Party and is now Deputy Spokesman on Constitutional and External Affairs. He has written many books on Scottish history literature and politics. including Walter Scott and Scotland, Andrew Fletcher and the Treaty of Union and Still in Bed with an Elephant. Among books which he has edited are Scotland: A Concise Cultural History and Scotland: An Unwon Cause.