Foreword
The Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSPMP
First Minister of Scotland
We in the Scottish Government are ambitious for the future of Scotland. We also believe that sovereignty in our country lies with its people. As a sovereign people, the people of Scotland - and we alone - have the right to decide how we are governed.
That is why our manifesto for the Scottish Parliamentary elections this year promised to provide an opportunity for the people to consider the concept of Scottish independence in a referendum during this Parliament.
In that election, the people voted clearly for further development of the way we govern ourselves in Scotland. We in the Government believe that independence would be the best for our country. Others support increased devolution, or greater responsibility for taxes and spending, or federalism. But whatever the differences between the political parties, the message of the election was obvious - the constitutional position of Scotland must move forward.
There have also been recent, historic constitutional developments in Northern Ireland and Wales, with new parties coming to government and new responsibilities being devolved. The United Kingdom Government has now published a discussion paper on the governance of Britain.
As First Minister of Scotland, it is my responsibility to explore and lead discussion on the options for constitutional change. I lead the first Scottish National Party Government to be elected in a devolved Scotland, so I will put the case for independence, its benefits and opportunities. However, I also recognise there is a range of other views in our country, and represented in the Parliament.
Scotland's long-standing union with the other nations of the United Kingdom is based on the Union of the Crowns of 1603 and the Acts of Union of 1707 and 1801. The 1801 Union with Ireland has already undergone substantial change. The political debate in Scotland concerns the 1707 political Union, the amendment or repeal of which would still leave the Union of the Crowns intact.
I therefore propose that we have a national conversation on our future to allow the people of Scotland to debate, reflect and then decide on the type of government which best equips us for the future. This paper is intended as the starting point and inspiration for that conversation. It explores areas in which Scotland could take on further responsibilities - such as employment, our national finances, or legislation on public safety such as firearms - as well as the concept of independence, and wider constitutional developments in Britain.
It is now ten years since the referendum to establish the Scottish Parliament. We have seen its potential to respond to the wishes and needs of the people of this country. But we have also seen the limitations of its current responsibilities. I believe it is now time for us, the people of Scotland, to consider and choose our own future in the modern world.
