苏格兰的民族独立运动及其影响

The National Independence Movement in Scotland and Its impact

在东欧、苏联民族矛盾加剧和要求独立的浪潮冲击下,西欧一些国家的民族矛盾也变得突出了,特别在英国,苏格兰民族独立运动出现了新的势头。今年以来,那里要求地方自治、甚至完全独立的呼声甚高,已成为当前英国朝野关注的一件大事和梅杰新政府面临的新的挑战。一苏格兰地处英国北部,面积77080平方公里,约占英国总面积的31％,分为9个管辖区,人口510多万(占英国总人口的8.9％),基本上都是苏格兰族,多数人是苏格兰教会(亦称长老会)教徒。早在公元9世纪中叶,苏格兰人就建立了自己的王国。

The Scottish claim for national autonomy originated long ago. Tn recent years, Scotland quickened its step of national independce. The main reasons accounting for this are as follows:(1) The torrents of the national independence movements in some European countrics brought about 'the dawn of hope' for Scottish nationalists. (2) The widening economic gap between the north and south in Britain gives an impetus to the Scottish to call for 'standing on their own feet'. (3) The struggle for power among the party groupings added fuel to the flames of the Scottish independence movement.At present, there are three propositions about the future of Scotland in the British government and. the public. The Conservatives hold that on the premise of unity the way of managing Scotland should be changed and power can be appropriately transferred to a lower level. The Labours and the Liberal Democrats support Scottish autonomy, maintaining that Scotland establish its own parliament with the rights of legislation, taxation and budget and different clectoral systems, while the British parliament still possesses the rights of Scottish defence and diplomacy. The Scottish Nationalists claim a full sovereignty.Under the increasing pressure of the voice for Scottish independence, The Major Cabinet has formulated a serics of new national policies: firstly, reinforcing the functions of the official organizations in Scotland to weaken the influence of its nongovernmental groupings; secondly, speeding up the economic development in Scotland with the aim of narrowing the economic gap between the north and south of Great Briain; thirdly, treating Scotland in a new light and adopting favourable policies towards it.The national independence movement in Scotland has brought about the following impacts on the British society, politics, economy and even the European,situations: (1) doing harm to the British economy; (2) weakening Britain's international position; (3) probably promoting the national independence movements in Northen Ireland and Welsh; (4) catalyzing the national independence movements in the European continent.