Scottish Parliament. Photograph by Bernt Rostad
The Scottish government has drawn up detailed plans outlining the stages of transition to independence after a “yes” vote on the 2014 referendum.
March 2016 is scheduled for Scottish “independence day”, with elections for the independent state of Scotland in May 2017.
The Scottish government has challenged to UK government to discuss the transition to independence now noting support for the idea by the Electoral Commission, but the prime minister has maintained his stance that that he will not pre-negotiate independence.
The Scottish government envision that they will negotiate a written “legal constitutional platform” with UK ministers that would divide assets, liabilities, global trade connections, and position within the EU. Scotland intends to retain the British monarchy as the head of state.
The paper does not outline the currency for the newly independent Scotland which continues to cause much confusion within the debate, and pro-Union campaigners claim that the SNP has vastly underestimated the complexity of renegotiating the more the 14,000 international treaties that currently include the UK.
