I have before me as I write a copy of ‘De Jure Regni apud Scotos’ the great liberating text of George Buchanan defending Scotland’s centuries long insistence that governance was dependent on its serving the needs of the people.
Since that epoch monarchy, parliament and electorate have been irrecoverably transformed into now almost undefinable and utterly other entities.
England has never been ruled by the English since ancient Britain when for a brief spell it was ruled by King Arthur, if indeed he existed. As Eric Linklater the renowned Scottish writer and historian pointed out England has always been a conquered country. It was conquered and ruled by Caesar and Roman Law. After that it was ruled by the Vikings and the Danelaw. It was then conquered by the Norman ruler, William who imposed on the country its enduring social structure, law and architecture. From them came the greatest ruling system of the Plantagenet Kings. They in turn were defeated, leaving England under the Welsh dynasty of the Tudors. They in turn yielded to the inheritance of the Scottish Stuarts. On their expulsion the English were then ruled first by Dutch rulers and finally by German gentry, the Georges.
Now that Parliament has been shattered into two fragments, the Commons now committee controlled and the House of Lords, an upper house voided of its function as a senatorial land-owning caretaker of the common folks’ rulings and now merely an extended reward-granted second Commons. The monarchy itself has lost its few remaining powers, its last monarch who fought to preserve a role as final arbiter in the system being George V. George VI and Elizabeth were simply swept aside as the House of Lords and the Royal Prerogative were abolished.
At this stage, with Parliament now as voided of power as it had rendered the Monarchy, Scotland is asked if it wants to cede from the Parliamentary Union. All Scottish Muslims in reason must vote YES to be free of English rule. Historically no other position is either honourable or rational.
It is only a step but, if we take it, the way is open to ask what is the nature of the government we desire once free of the long-conquered at home and long-enslaving abroad English. Whatever the outcome, the question has been asked, it will inevitably lead to the bigger question – sovereignty for Scotland – free at last.
