Amy international law experts around?

[andrewducker]

I am confused by some of the reporting around Independence, so hopefully someone can clear things up for me*.

My understanding is that if Scotland becomes independent, then that ends the United Kingdom (which is named after the uniting of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland into one Kingdom). We are not left with The United Kingdom, and "that bit which used to be part of it, but isn't any more". We have two new countries.

So why is it that I keep reading stories about how Scotland will have to renegotiate X and Y with Europe, NATO, the UN, etc. - which also assume that England+Wales+NI won't have to negotiate anything at all. Surely either both new nations will have to negotiate their relationship with various organisations, or both will inherit the relationship from the nation they are successors to.

Anyone care to put me right? Or at least tell me that everyone disagrees?



*Although the experts also seem to be confused, so probably not.

Comments

State of the Union

[chaos-monkey.livejournal.com]

Question:
I thought the United Kingdom was 'the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.
So it's the Great Britain bit that's changing - not the United Kingdom bit... Yesno?

Which would maybe mean the UK would still exist after the redefinition of Great Britain, and therefore have the same treaties etc... Or that could be rubbish.

Hmm. Let me know if you get anywhere with it - it's interesting!

Re: State of the Union

[andrewducker]

What, exactly, is united, is a good question. I've heard arguments that it means the two crowns of England and Scotland being united, and arguments that it just means "It's a big kingdom, and it's no longer squabbling about who's in and who's out."

Re: State of the Union

[fanf]

From 1707 it was the (United) Kingdom of Great Britain (being the union of Scotland and Englandandwales). From 1801 it was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. From 1542 Ireland and Englandandwales shared a crown; and from 1603 they were joined by Scotland. So there were four entangled unions.

Wikipedia suggests that the term "United Kingdom" only became standard after the 1800 act of union.

Re: State of the Union

[steer.livejournal.com]

This video explains it pretty well (and entertainingly):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10

Currently GB refers to essentially (Wales+ Scotland+ England) and UK to (GB + Northern Ireland).

Re: State of the Union

[andrewducker]

See also, 3000 diagrams like this one:
http://bi-gen.blogspot.com/2011/04/uk-gb-bi-etc.html

Re: State of the Union

[0olong.livejournal.com]

That is a good point, I think. It could become 'The United Kingdom of England, Wales and Northern Ireland', or something.