<P> The Scottish National Party gained its first seat at Westminster in 1945 and became a party of national prominence during the 1970s , achieving 11 MPs in 1974 . However , a referendum on devolution in 1979 was unsuccessful as it did not achieve the necessary support of 40 per cent of the electorate ( despite a small majority of those who voted supporting the proposal ) and the SNP went into electoral decline during the 1980s . The introduction in 1989 by the Thatcher - led Conservative government of the Community Charge ( widely known as the Poll Tax ) , one year before the rest of the United Kingdom , contributed to a growing movement for a return to direct Scottish control over domestic affairs . The electoral success of New Labour in 1997 was led by two Prime Ministers with Scottish connections : Tony Blair ( who was brought up in Scotland ) from 1997 to 2007 and Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010 , opened the way for constitutional change . On 11 September 1997 , the 700th anniversary of Battle of Stirling Bridge , the Blair led Labour government again held a referendum on the issue of devolution . A positive outcome led to the establishment of a devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999 . A coalition government , which would last until 2007 , was formed between Labour and the Liberal Democrats , with Donald Dewar as First Minister . The new Scottish Parliament Building , adjacent to Holyrood House in Edinburgh , opened in 2004 . Although not initially reaching its 1970s peak in Westminster elections , the SNP had more success in the Scottish Parliamentary elections with their system of mixed member proportional representation . It became the official opposition in 1999 , a minority government in 2007 and a majority government from 2011 . In 2014 the independence referendum saw voters reject independence , choosing instead to remain in the United Kingdom . In the 2015 Westminster election , the SNP won 56 out of 59 Scottish seats , making them the third largest party in Westminster . </P>
<P> The Scottish National Party gained its first seat at Westminster in 1945 and became a party of national prominence during the 1970s , achieving 11 MPs in 1974 . However , a referendum on devolution in 1979 was unsuccessful as it did not achieve the necessary support of 40 per cent of the electorate ( despite a small majority of those who voted supporting the proposal ) and the SNP went into electoral decline during the 1980s . The introduction in 1989 by the Thatcher - led Conservative government of the Community Charge ( widely known as the Poll Tax ) , one year before the rest of the United Kingdom , contributed to a growing movement for a return to direct Scottish control over domestic affairs . The electoral success of New Labour in 1997 was led by two Prime Ministers with Scottish connections : Tony Blair ( who was brought up in Scotland ) from 1997 to 2007 and Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010 , opened the way for constitutional change . On 11 September 1997 , the 700th anniversary of Battle of Stirling Bridge , the Blair led Labour government again held a referendum on the issue of devolution . A positive outcome led to the establishment of a devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999 . A coalition government , which would last until 2007 , was formed between Labour and the Liberal Democrats , with Donald Dewar as First Minister . The new Scottish Parliament Building , adjacent to Holyrood House in Edinburgh , opened in 2004 . Although not initially reaching its 1970s peak in Westminster elections , the SNP had more success in the Scottish Parliamentary elections with their system of mixed member proportional representation . It became the official opposition in 1999 , a minority government in 2007 and a majority government from 2011 . In 2014 the independence referendum saw voters reject independence , choosing instead to remain in the United Kingdom . In the 2015 Westminster election , the SNP won 56 out of 59 Scottish seats , making them the third largest party in Westminster . </P>
when did scotland get their freedom from england
when did scotland get their freedom from england
1999
1999