Act of Union 1707

The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 (taking effect on 1 May 1707) by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The acts were the implementation of the Treaty of Union negotiated between the two kingdoms. The Acts created a new state, the Kingdom of Great Britain, by merging the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland together. The two countries had shared a monarch since 1603, but had retained sovereign parliaments. The Acts of Union dissolved both Parliaments and replaced them with a new Parliament of Great Britain, based at Westminster, the former home of the English Parliament.

In 1999, after almost three centuries, a Scottish Parliament was opened after a referendum in Scotland. The new parliament does not have the same powers as the old parliament, as Scotland remains a constituent member country of the United Kingdom.

A commemorative two-pound coin will be issued to mark the 300th anniversary of the Union, which occurs 2 days before the Scottish Parliament's election.

Today, the anniversary of Scotland agreeing to the Union, David Cameron mounts a staunch defense of the union. This follows a similar appeal from Gordon Brown at the weekend. The union has been endangered by the devolution of power back to Scottish and Welsh parliaments in recent years creating demands for an English parliament too. If the Scottish Nationalists take overall control in Scotland in May they are proposing a referendum in Scotland on the issue of Scottish independence. Writing in the Telegraph today Bill Cash MP argues for a nationwide referendum on the issue, plus a similar referendum in Wales and one on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union saying "These are all interconnected". "The 300th anniversary of the Act of Union and the 50th anniversary of the European Union provide an appropriate constitutional opportunity to reaffirm by democratic consent in a UK referendum the underlying principle of the constitution of the United Kingdom".

As we approach another Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity perhaps we could coin the slogan "A United Church for a United Kingdom".