the English throne, placing England and Scotland under personal union. In 1707, the Acts of Union were passed by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland, forming the Kingdom of Great Britain. The measure was deeply unpopular in both Scotland and England. The Scottish signatories to the Act were forced to sign the documents in secrecy because of mass rioting and unrest in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. Scotland did however retain Scots law, a legal system distinct from that used in England and Wales. In 1800, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland both passed new Acts of Union, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which came into being in 1801. In 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was agreed, allowing Southern Ireland under the Irish Free State to become a Dominion, resulting in only Northern Ireland remaining within the UK, which in 1927 was formally renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. English independence movement Parliament motion In 2006 a motion was tabled in the UK parliament advocating for English independence, signed by four Members: Peter Atkinson of the Conservative Party, Angus MacNeil of the Scottish National Party and Bill Etherington and Elliot Morley of Labour. Mike Wood, then Labour MP for Batley and Spen, withdrew his support. The signatories cited an ICM poll showing a majority in England (as well as Scotland) for English independence. English identity The 2011 census found that 60.4% of people living in England declared themselves as "English" whilst just 9.1% described themselves as "English and British". English independence support In 2015, following the Scottish independence referendum, journalist Leo McKinstry proposed a referendum on English independence, also stating that English patriotism is as valid as Scottish patriotism and that the people of England have as much a right as Scottish people to hold a referendum on English independence. In 2017, over 4,000 people signed a petition supporting independence for England. In 2020, a poll by Panelbase showed that 49% of English voters supported English independence, excluding "don't knows". 34% were in favour of English independence, 36% against and 30% didn't know. In August 2022, the English Constitution Party announced an independence rally in York. "We advocate for the voiding, not repeal but the voiding, of the Act of Union," Moore told The National. "That means that Scotland has complete control over its own nation,