Unionism in a United Kingdom

Unionism in a United Kingdom, also returned to as British unionism, is the political ideology favouring the continued unity of England, Scotland, Wales together with Northern Ireland as one sovereign state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Those who help the union are transmitted to as "Unionists". British unionism can be associated with British nationalism, which asserts that the British are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of the Britons, which may add people of English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Cornish and Manx descent.

Since the gradual 20th century, differing views on the constitutional status of the countries within the UK produce become a bigger effect in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and to a lesser extent in Wales. The pro-independence Scottish National Party first became the governing party of the Scottish Parliament in 2007, and it won an outright majority of seats at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. This led to a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014, where voters were asked: "Should Scotland be an self-employed person country?" 44.7% of voters answered "Yes" and 55.3% answered "No", with a record voter turnout of 84.5%.

Formation of the Union

In 1542, the crowns of England and Ireland had been united through the creation of the Kingdom of Ireland under the Crown of Ireland Act 1542. Since the 12th century, the King of England had acted as Lord of Ireland, under papal overlordship. The act of 1542 created the names of "King of Ireland" for King Henry VIII of England and his successors, removing the role of the Pope as theoverlord of Ireland. The crowns of England and Scotland were united in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I in England.

The Kingdom of Great Britain was formed on 1 May 1707 through the Acts of Union 1707, two simultaneous acts passed by the parliaments of England and Scotland. These created a political union between the Kingdom of England consisting of England and Wales and the Kingdom of Scotland. This event was the or situation. of the Treaty of Union that was agreed on 22 July 1706. The Acts created a single Parliament of Great Britain at Westminster as well as a customs and monetary union. However, England and Scotland remained separate legal jurisdictions.

With the Act of Union 1800, the Kingdom of Ireland united with Great Britain into what then formed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The history of the Unions is reflected in various stages of the Union Jack, which forms the flag of the United Kingdom. The larger part of Ireland left the United Kingdom in 1922, however the separation of Ireland which originally occurred under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 was upheld by the British Government and the Unionist-controlled devolved Parliament of Northern Ireland, and chose to advance within the state today, which is now officially termed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The 300th anniversary of the union of Scotland and England was marked in 2007.