The Union is the last desperate grip of an empire refusing to let go

The National

a day ago

Yet, to those who examine the legal and historical reality, it becomes clear: Scotland is a colony, and its subjugation is no mere abstraction. It has real-world consequences – economic, political and moral. The most damning of these is that there is no legal exit mechanism for Scotland to leave the so-called 'Union' of 1707, a treaty that was never properly implemented and has since been weaponised to deny self-determination to an entire nation.
The United Kingdom has long presented itself as a voluntary Union of nations, but the truth is far uglier. The Treaty of Union was not a merger of equals but an annexation – an act of political and economic coercion that extinguished Scotland's sovereignty while preserving England's institutions under the cosmetic rebranding of 'Great Britain'. The Scottish Parliament was dissolved, its legal system subordinated and its economy restructured to serve London's interests. This was not a partnership; it was an absorption.
Today, Scotland remains a captive nation, its resources – oil, gas renewable energy – exploited by Westminster, its democratic mandates ignored and its constitutional status a legal fiction. The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Scotland has no right to hold a referendum without Westminster's permission, effectively rendering the Scottish people prisoners in their own land.
Even Margaret Thatcher, no friend of nationalism, acknowledged that Scots had an 'undoubted right to national self-determination' – a right now being denied in the most undemocratic fashion.
If the United Nations were to formally classify Scotland as a Non-Self-Governing Territory (NSGT) under its decolonisation framework – as legal experts and human rights organisations are now advocating – the implications would be seismic.
First, the UK would be forced to comply with international law. Under UN Resolution 1514 (XV), colonial powers are obligated to facilitate
self-determination. Westminster could no longer block a referendum or claim Scotland's constitutional future is a purely 'domestic' matter. The UK would face mounting diplomatic pressure, sanctions or even expulsion from international bodies if it continued to defy decolonisation norms.
Second, Scotland's independence process would be internationally supervised. Unlike the 2014 referendum – controlled and constrained by Westminster – a UN-backed vote would be conducted under impartial observation, ensuring fairness and legitimacy. The terms of independence (currency, borders, debt) would no longer be dictated by London but negotiated under international oversight.
Third, the myth of 'voluntary Union' would be shattered. The UK's claim that Scotland is a 'willing partner' would collapse under scrutiny. The UN does not tolerate indefinite colonial rule, no matter how well disguised. Historical grievances –the Highland Clearances, economic plundering, political suppression – would be re-examined as part of a legitimate decolonisation process.
Fourth, the precedent would empower other stateless nations. If Scotland succeeds in asserting its colonial status, Wales, Northern Ireland and even regions like Cornwall could follow suit, accelerating the disintegration of the British imperial construct.
Finally, the UK's global standing would be irreparably damaged. A country that lectures others on democracy while denying self-determination to its own captive nations is a hypocrisy too glaring to ignore. The UK's moral authority – already diminished by Brexit and imperial nostalgia –would evaporate overnight.
The most grotesque feature of Scotland's colonial status is that there is no legal way out. The UK Supreme Court has ruled that even a non-binding referendum would 'affect the Union' and is therefore illegal without Westminster's consent. This is not democracy; it is imperial veto power masquerading as law.
If Scotland were a true partner in Union, it would have the right to leave. But like all colonies, it is trapped – its fate decided by a distant parliament where Scottish votes are perpetually outnumbered. The only remaining recourse is international intervention – exactly as happened with other colonies that broke free from British rule.
The British Empire is dead, but its corpse still twitches in Westminster. Scotland's struggle is not just about nationalism; it is about the basic democratic right to choose. If the UN recognises Scotland's colonial status, the UK will face a choice: comply with international law or be exposed as a 21st-century colonial oppressor.
The clock is ticking. Scotland will not wait forever. And when the reckoning comes, the world will see the so-called 'Union' for what it truly is: the last, desperate grip of an empire that refuses to let go.
Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee
ALAN Hinnrichs's letter, headed 'Criminalisation of dissent is a prelude to something worse', takes us a few steps further in a brilliant Orwellian extension.
He references behaviours on display among some current world leaders, London included, causing fear and terror to those who pay attention.
He chillingly suggests that what is happening now, and yesterday is drawing the planet closer to self-destruction.
Eh? Not while we are all watching Wimbledon ...
Elizabeth Dickinson
Glasgow