Edinburgh in 1707

Popular protest songs and the slogans of the mob illustrate the atmosphere in the streets of Edinburgh throughout the tense years of 1705 to 1707 which saw the plans for Union between Scotland and England come to fruition. The programme asks why the Scottish Parliament voted itself out of existence in 1707 when the bulk of the Scottish people wanted it to continue in office.

The Case for Union

Modern expert Professor Ted Cowan explains the economic dilemma facing the Scots in the early eighteenth century. The Union of the Crowns, the lack of access to overseas markets and the collapse of the Darien Scheme all contributed to a feeling of economic decline. The complex political and religious issue of the Succession is explained and the programme highlights the threat to England's stability posed by the possibility of a Catholic Stuart returning to the Scottish throne, and the possibility of a backdoor invasion through Scotland by France.

The Power Struggle Between Edinburgh and London

The constitutional settlement of 1690 gave new powers and importance to the Scottish Parliament. As the Scots Parliament asserted its independence, London was concerned by this revival of political activity in the north. A combination of threat and intrigue was deployed to try and bring the Scots into line. The fate of the Worcester crewmen and the introduction of the Aliens Act illustrate the tension in Scotland at this time, while the Lord Chancellor Seafield expresses the response of most Scots in 1705 to the first moves by Anne's government to engineer Union.

The Process of Union

Nicholas de Gueudeville's engraving of the Riding and Downsitting of the Scottish Parliament demonstrates the impact which the Parliament had upon public life in the capital and shows the social class of the MPs. We meet some of the key figures in the Parliament such as Fletcher of Saltoun, Seafield and Queensberry, and get a feel for opposing views through the memoirs of Lockhart of Carnwath, a Jacobite.

Espionage and Corruption

The role of the English agents operating north of the border is illustrated by the mission of Daniel Defoe, the most famous of Harley's spies and provocateurs at work in Edinburgh at this time. The programme also investigates the allegations of corruption and bribery which have dogged the pro-unionists since Lockhart of Carnwarth first published his list of the bribes paid by the London Treasury. The ambiguous role played by Hamilton throughout the Union negotiations is analysed through an interview with his descendant, the current Duke.

The Articles of Union

Some of the key articles of the Union Treaty are highlighted. The eventual Treaty negotiated by the two sets of Commissioners in a former cockpit in Whitehall was an incorporating union, rather than the federal union that many Scots had hoped for.

Public Opposition to the Union

The spirit of Burns' reworking of the Jacobite song 'Parcel of Rogues' pervades the programme, reflecting the feelings of the vast majority of Scots towards Union. Lord Belhaven's historic and prophetic speech, delivered in Parliament Hall at the climax of the ratification process, reveals the views of the weak but determined opposition. The voting patterns reveal that the burghs and shires voted only narrowly for Union.

The Consequences of Union

The programme hints at the ways in which the Treaty was breached in the years immediately after 1707. In 1713 the Scots introduced a Bill in Westminster to repeal the Union. It was defeated by only four votes. The Jacobite Rebellion was only two years away. The contrasting views of Scotland's political future held by MSPs remind us that arguments over Scottish independence and the Union are as lively now as they were in 1707.