Furthermore outline what are the key events are that led to the formation of the parliament, the functions and founding principles, including current devolved and reserved powers. How the Scottish voting system differs from that in Westminster ensuring diversity and encompasses the people of Scotland in the legislative process. .
Finally the arguments deliberated by the recent Yes and No campaigns need to be considered, in an assessment of why Scots ultimately voted to remain in the union, even though a large percentage would have chosen independence. Is this because the Scottish parliament is not delivering what the Scottish people want? It would seem that Scotland is a rich and prosperous country, a land of plenty, with substantial oil reserves, strong cultural identity and a wealth of opportunities envied by the modern world. However since 1979 there has been discontentment rumbling at the heart of the Scottish people. A nation of Scots, who post war, had seen themselves as British. More recently when asked to select a single nationality in an opinion poll, 39% of Scottish people who had said they were British in 1970, had fallen to 23% in 2013. (How did it come to this?, 2014) .
Conceivably it all started as far back as 1977 when Tam Dalyell posed the "West Lothian question" and suggested that English MPs should vote on English matters that only affect England. "English votes for English laws" (The Independent, 2014) Furthermore the same should be established for Wales and Scotland which was the inspiration for the Scottish devolution process. It would appear that even to this day this question has not been answered and David Cameron in the 2014 referendum demanded that there should indeed be change throughout the United Kingdom "We have heard the voice of Scotland and now the millions of voices of England must be heard," (Winton, 2014) .
From around the 1970's when oil was discovered in the North Sea off Scotland, a once Labour strong hold, there emerged a substantial increase in allegiance to the Scottish National Party.
