End of the Road for the United Kingdom?
Illustration: Paula C. Rondeau
By
Mark P. Denee
Calls in Scotland for independence seem to be growing louder.
Could this mean the end of the UK?
From a group of islands approximately 100,000 sq. mi. (250,000
sq. km.) in size reigned the world’s largest empire:
the United Kingdom. Culminating in the 19th century under Queen
Victoria, the British Empire controlled approximately one-quarter
of the world’s land, resources and population.
Has Britain lost her way?
With Scotland seeking independence, Islamic terrorists bent
on destroying the nation, and a rift widening between the
American and British peoples, has Britain lost her way?
The Union Flag (“Union Jack”) and the empire that
it represented is considered controversial in today’s
politically correct society.
On one hand, its legacy is widespread in legal, military,
education and government systems, and in economic practice.
Its image dominates sports (cricket, rugby, and football/soccer),
and symbolizes the global spread of the English language.
On the other hand, to some, its effigy reflects an empire
of slavery and racism, brutality and aggression, pride and
arrogance.
But,
thousands of years earlier, the empire was foretold. In the
book of
Genesis, God told Jacob, whom He renamed Israel,
to “be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company
of nations shall be of you, and kings shall come out of your
loins…” (35:10-12).
Many
have understood that this “company of nations” refers
to the British Empire and/or the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly
the British Commonwealth).
And
yet, God also warned that those blessings would be removed
for national disobedience (Read Leviticus 26). Since the
two world wars, Britain has been
in decline. Despite remaining a significant military power, its armies have
lost the prestige they once held.
The
United Kingdom—which consists of the British isle
states of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—has
undergone its own decline.
In 1922, Ireland split into two states, one declaring independence
and becoming the Republic of Ireland; the other remaining a
part of the UK, becoming Northern Ireland.
In 1998, Scotland was granted the resumption of its own parliament
in Edinburgh.
In recent months, calls for Scottish independence have increased
(they were also somewhat popular during the 1970s).
Could this spell the end of the United Kingdom?
A Brief History
The UK’s origins trace back to the early 10th century
AD, when the Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan (also spelled Aethelstan
or Ethelstan) brought together under one rule several neighboring
Celtic kingdoms. Crowned at Kingston on September 4, 925, Athelstan’s
codes of law decreed stern efforts to suppress theft and corruption,
while at the same time intending to comfort the destitute.
Both his charters and his silver coins carried the proud title
Rex totius Britanniae (“King of all Britain”).
During the centuries that followed, the kingdom slowly expanded.
Keep in mind that this was interspersed with periods of infighting
among the English, Scottish and Irish peoples, and various
clans within each. In addition, Scandinavian peoples, or Vikings,
continued to invade and ultimately gained control for a time
(994-1042), followed by the Normans, whose most famous ruler
was William the Conqueror (William I, 1066-1087).
Source: The Scottish Office, Harenberg Encyclopedia, Encylcopaedia
Britannica; MCT
An interesting common element during these various early periods
of UK history is not only the almost constant power struggle
between various peoples and countries but the UK’s resistance
to the religious authority of Rome, despite strengthening economic
ties with continental Europe.
For
example, King William I and Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury,
worked
together and resisted Pope Gregory VII’s claim
to papal supremacy. The king even decreed that no pope was
to be recognized in England without his consent, no papal letter
was to be received, no Roman church council was to legislate,
and no English baron or royal official was to be excommunicated.
King
John (1199-1216) also fought with Rome over the choice of
archbishop,
which eventually resulted in the king’s
excommunication, and allowed his administration to confiscate
all revenues of sees that had been vacated by bishops in exile.
The
most famous account of England opposing Rome was during King
Henry
VIII’s reign (1509-1547). When he was denied
a marriage annulment, Henry eventually enacted the Act of Succession
of March 1534, forcing his English subjects to accept his new
marriage, and the Act of Supremacy, which formally severed
all financial and constitutional ties with Rome. It was also
at this time that the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1542 brought
Wales, another enclave of Celtic kingdoms in the island’s
southwest, to unity with England.
Following the Glorious Revolution (1688-1689), Scotland, which
had been ruled by the English monarchy since 1603, was formally
joined with England and Wales by the Acts of Union in 1707,
under Queen Anne (1702-1714). This marked the beginning of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
Though
Ireland was under English control during the 1600s, it was
the Act of Union of 1800 that united Great Britain and
Ireland—the United Kingdom was now complete. The timing
was near perfect, as economic growth and prosperity quickly
increased following the American Revolution. In addition, the
effects of the beginnings of the (first) Industrial Revolution
were making a significant impact. From 1794 to 1814, annual
British exports doubled from £22 million to £44
million. Population growth also exploded: By 1790 it had reached
9.7 million; by 1811, 12.1 million; and by 1821, 14.2 million.
By the latter date, an estimated 60% of Britain’s population
was 25 years of age or below. By the 1850s, the population
was over 20 million. The United Kingdom and the British Empire
it ruled was at its peak, possessing “the gate [seagates]
of his enemies” (Gen. 22:17). This included the Suez
Canal, the Straits and Island of Gibraltar, Cape of Good Hope,
the Straits of Hormuz, Singapore, Malta and Hong Kong—dominating
world commerce and trade.
Ireland
Ireland was the shortest-lasting member state of the United
Kingdom, with increasing differences among unionist and republican,
as well as Protestant and Catholic, forces during the late
1800s and early 1900s. This culminated with the Anglo-Irish
treaty of December 6, 1921, which created the independent
Irish Free State. The northeastern area, known as Northern
Ireland, remained a part of the UK.
By
the late 1940s, Irish politics pushed toward unification
and
independence, leading to the Republic of Ireland Act of
1949. Britain recognized Ireland’s new status, but unity
with Northern Ireland could take place only with mutual political
consent. During the 1950s and 60s, the governments faced Irish
Republican Army (IRA) attacks on British army outposts along
the northeastern border. Various political visits, assassinations
and agreements, all in an attempt to secure peace, continued
for several decades. Annual Protestant and Catholic marches
became typical flashpoints for violence.
In
1993, the Irish and British governments signed a joint peace
initiative
called the Downing Street Declaration. The
next year, the IRA declared a cease-fire, increasing optimism.
But by 1996 its bombing campaign resumed. Two years later,
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern played a significant role
in brokering the Belfast (or Good Friday) Agreement. This included
the creation of a Northern Ireland Assembly, established some
north-south political structure, and removed the claim to Northern
Ireland from Ireland’s 1937 constitution. That same year,
94% of voters in Ireland and 71% in Northern Ireland approved
the agreement. Despite intermittent progress, including the
IRA’s renouncement of armed struggle in 1995, power sharing
has become a reality in Northern Ireland. Earlier this year,
the British army ended its nearly four-decade long mission
there.
Scotland
Scotland
has “long refused to consider itself as anything
other than a separate country, and has bound itself to historical
fact and legend alike in an effort to retain national identity” (Encyclopaedia
Britannica).
The
United Kingdom controlled most of the seaports and areas
of wealth
around the world. Throughout the 1900s, the larger
colonies gained independence, shrinking the empire on which “the
sun never set.”
With the discovery of oil in the North Sea in the 1970s, the
Scottish National Party (SNP) made some political gains. The
independent mindset bore symbolic fruit with the 1996 return
of the Stone of Scone (or Stone of Destiny) from London to
Edinburgh. Elements of history indicate that this is the same
stone that Jacob slept on in Genesis 28; the one that the prophet
Jeremiah brought to the British Isles (ca. 700 B.C.). Irish,
Scottish and English kings have been coronated upon this stone
ever since.
In 1997, the Labour government called for a referendum on
the creation of a Scottish Parliament. It passed with support
of more than 74% of voters, and in May 1999, its first members
were elected. The SNP staged a historic upset in the 2007 elections,
winning the most seats (47 of 129). Its leader, Alex Salmond,
was subsequently named the First Minister of Scotland.
Mr.
Salmond has announced plans for a referendum to be held in
2010,
aimed at securing independence for Scotland for the
first time in 300 years. The referendum date gives the SNP “plenty
of time to demonstrate competence. I’m committed to a
new chapter in Scottish politics, one that’s written
by the people,” Mr. Salmond said, launching what he called
a “national conversation” on the referendum proposal
(Bloomberg).
According to Mr. Salmond, the status quo is no longer an option.
If he is proven right, this would present UK Prime Minister
Gordon Brown (who is also Scottish) with a serious challenge
to his opposition to Scottish independence.
Des
Browne, the Secretary of State for Scotland, warned against
allowing “the cleverness of Alex Salmond and the SNP
to dress this up as anything other than what it is—the
central theme of the document is about breaking up Britain.”
He
added, “This is what Alex Salmond is about. People
of Scotland identify that and they don’t support it.
This was tested recently in an election in Scotland and 65%
voted for parties who want to preserve a United Kingdom.”
Opinion polls have also consistently revealed that Scots want
more power for their Parliament, yet are wary of full independence.
The Future
The
British Empire no longer exists. Great Britain is no longer “great.” And
the United Kingdom appears to be no longer united and headed
toward its end.
In fact, the UK will indeed cease to exist in its current
form. To learn more, read the book AMERICA and BRITAIN in prophecy.
Mark
P. Denee is
a contributing writer for The Real Truth Magazine.
Petroleumworld
not necessarily share these views.
Editor's
Note: This
article originally published on Aug 31, 2007 by realtruth.org.
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