Background

Background notes on the 2014 referendum, its aftermath and the long argument over the shape of the Union.

• A 'new union'? Federal, confederal and home-rule proposals for the United Kingdom

  Between independence and the status quo, many proposals have promised a 'new union': home rule, devo max, federalism, a confederation of nations. What do these terms mean, who has proposed them, and why have they proved hard to achieve?

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  The road after the No vote: the Smith Commission, 'English votes for English laws' and the Scotland Act 2016

  What happened after Scotland voted No on 18 September 2014: the Vow, the Smith Commission, the rise of 'English votes for English laws', the SNP surge of 2015 and the powers transferred by the Scotland Act 2016.