Independence party rises in Scotland | ajc.com

Independence party rises in Scotland | ajc.com: "Scotland marks the 300th anniversary this week of its union with England to create Great Britain. But even as it observes that milestone, Scots are poised to hand a resounding parliamentary election victory to a party that has vowed to dismantle that union.

For Treasury Chief Gordon Brown, the proud Scotsman preparing to succeed Tony Blair as Britain's prime minister, there's a bitter irony: With his moment of triumph in sight, his homeland may be slipping from his grasp.

As voting got under way Thursday, the Scottish National Party was poised to sweep elections in Scotland's regional government, claiming a mandate to chart a path toward an eventual split. The party, which has pledged an independence referendum by 2010, dreams of an independent nation matching the economic successes of neighboring Ireland, rather than relying on heavy subsidies from London."