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Will Bonny Donny also break away? Ed Miliband's constituency Doncaster 'may actually be owned by Scotland', experts warn Labour

It's the latest reason why a Yes vote could be a headache for Miliband

Donald Macintyre

Thursday 18 September 2014 14:22 BST

Labour leader Ed Miliband makes his way through St James Shopping Centre in Edinburgh while on the campaign trail for the Scottish independence referendum (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire )

As if Ed Miliband didn’t have enough headaches as a result of the today’s historic referendum, it now turns out that his own constituency may belong to Scotland. According to a local historian a 12th century Treaty giving Doncaster to the Scots as the price of calling off their invasion of England has never been revoked.

As the Labour leader grapples with the prospect of losing a potential parliamentary majority if Scotland votes yes, he is now threatened with the seizure by a freshly separated Scotland of “Bonny Donny” –a term which local media are inevitably using with evident enjoyment.

Well not quite, actually. But delighted to find a local angle on the Scottish referendum, the Yorkshire Post has told its readers that Doncaster was casually handed over to the Scots as part of the Treaty of Durham under Scotland’s King David, who had stormed large parts of Northern England, withdrew his troops. It remained in Scottish hands for 21 years until Henry II appeared to reclaim the town under English rule in 1157 - but it was never formally given back, according to the YP

Local historian Dr Charles Kelham told the paper: : “David had invaded England in support of his niece, the Empress Matilda, the widow of a Roman Emperor whose claim to the throne of England seemed to have rather more justification than Stephen’s.

Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

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1/7Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

The 2015 General Election

If it votes for independence, Scotland won’t leave the union until 2016 meaning, under current arrangements, that if Scots decide to go it alone they will still vote in the 2015 general election. The possibility of Scotland swinging the vote in favour of the government with which it will negotiate their independence has led some to call for the elections to be delayed. Downing Street has said, however, that it has no plans to postpone the election despite claims a yes vote could lead to a constitutional crisis.

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Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

The NHS

Alex Salmond has said a Yes vote in the referendum is the only way to save Scotland’s National Health Service. This claim was undermined, however, yesterday when research published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies determined that Scotland’s devolved government spent less in real terms on its health service than England. Despite this, the splitting up of the NHS would be more straightforward than other institutions, as it is already managed from Holyrood.

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Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

The BBC

The Licence fee in Scotland currently raises around £230m which the Yes campaign says it would use, along with the assets of BBC Scotland, to create a Scottish Broadcasting Service or SBS. It says the SBS would continue to provide original content to the BBC and Scotland would receive access to all current programming, including BBC1, BBC2 and national radio stations. The government has said since February that an independent Scotland would lose any automatic rights to BBC programming.

Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

The Pound

The No Campaign is hoping that doubts over whether or not Scotland will be able to keep the pound will sway the referendum in its favour. George Osborne has said that the UK will not let Scotland keep the pound if it votes to leave the union and the leader of the Better Together coalition, former Chancellor Alistair Darling, has called the Yes campaign’s suggestion that it keep the currency “mad”. Alex Salmond has claimed repeatedly that Scotland will be able to retain the pound and has said speculation to the contrary is little more than fear mongering.

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Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

The Army

Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war and the stationing of the Trident Nuclear fleet north of the border are unpopular in Scotland. The Scottish Nationalists have railed against the war saying they would scrap Trident and create a new Scottish defence force based on existing Scottish regiments.

Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

The Royal Family

Scotland would keep the Queen as a head of state under current plans proposed by the Yes campaign, as Elizabeth Queen of Scots. It would also remain part of the Commonwealth. However a second referendum could be held to determine what form a new Scottish state would take.

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Scottish independence: What will happen to key British institutions?

Sport

Scotland’s Rugby and Football teams would remain as they are if Scotland voted to leave the UK but the British and Irish Lions could be forced into a name change. What would happen to the British Olympic Association also remains up for debate. Scotland’s most successful Olympian Sir Chris Hoy has said he is wary of independence because of the number of Scottish athletes living and training in England and what their status would be.

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“Stephen bought David off at the meeting in Durham by offering him a selection of additional estates, one of which was the manor and soke of Doncaster. It was a sweetener, effectively.

“He had the terms of the arrangement amended such that these additional estates were to be given by Stephen to his son and heir, Henry, prince of Scotland.”

“The arrangement did not last long, but it is right it appears that there was never any official giving back,” added Dr Kelham.