PHOTO: Children waving the Australian flag at Anzac parade in Brisbane. (Giulio Saggin: ABC News)



Scotland is set to vote on whether to split from the United Kingdom and become an independent nation.

Opinion polls tracking the referendum have tightened in recent weeks, with heavy campaigning continuing on both sides. As the yes vote has gained ground, speculation that an independent Scotland would force a change to the Union Jack has increased.

That has led to questions over what independence might mean for the Australian flag.

ABC Fact Check investigates the relationship between the Union Jack and the Australian flag.

The Union Jack

Britain's Union Flag, popularly known as the "Union Jack", is made up of three heraldic crosses. The base is the cross of St Andrew, a diagonal white cross on a blue background. It is overlaid by the diagonal red cross of St Patrick on a white background. Foremost is the red horizontal cross of St George, also on a white background.


INFOGRAPHIC: Making the Union Jack (ABC Fact Check)

The cross of St Andrew represents Scotland, St Patrick Ireland and St George England. The Welsh dragon does not appear because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606 after James I united the thrones of England and Scotland, Wales was already united with England.

The current Union Jack dates from 1801, the date of the Act of Union with Ireland. It was the earlier Union Flag, without the Irish cross of St Patrick, that first flew over the fledgling British colony of New South Wales in 1788.

The Scottish flag

The Scottish government's plan for independence says the Queen will be the head of state in an independent Scotland, succeeded by her heirs and successors.

The Scottish national flag after independence would be the cross of St Andrew. The Scottish government says it will then be up to remaining parts of the United Kingdom to decide whether to retain the Union Jack.

When the Republic of Ireland gained independence from Britain in 1921, the cross of St Patrick was retained on the Union Jack. It is now seen to represent Northern Ireland, which stayed within the United Kingdom.

No plans to change

A recent survey from the UK's Flag Institute, which is described as "a national flag charity", found almost 65 per cent of respondents think the Union Jack should change if Scotland becomes independent.

The Union Jack was originally a royal flag, only to be flown on forts and castles. It has never been formally adopted as the "official" flag of the United Kingdom and no mechanism for changing it has ever been enacted through legislation.

Andrew Rosindell, a Conservative Party MP and chairman of the UK Parliament's Flags and Heraldry Committee, told Fact Check that the only mechanism that exists to alter the Union Jack would be by a proclamation of Her Majesty The Queen.

The Union Jack will not change... Scots will remain British, even if they vote for independence.
Andrew Rosindell

The College of Arms is the royal authority which administers heraldry and flags on behalf of the monarch for the United Kingdom and parts of the Commonwealth including Australia.

David White, one of the Heralds at the college, told Fact Check: "It is a political decision - the Queen acting on the advice of ministers responsible to Parliament. It is not a decision for the College of Arms."

Mr White says there are no plans to change the Union Flag in the event of Scottish separation from the United Kingdom.

Mr Rosindell goes further. "The Union Jack will not change... Scots will remain British, even if they vote for independence," he told Fact Check.

Changing Australia's flag

Mr White also says changes to the Union Jack wouldn't automatically alter the Australian flag. "I can't see that this would have any effect on the version of the Union Flag which appears in the flag of the Commonwealth of Australia," he says.

Mr Rosindell says in the United Kingdom, unlike Australia, "there is no Flag Act and there is no precedent for a referendum on the national flag".

Australia's Flags Act of 1953 sets out the design of the Australian National Flag, including the colour, the placement of the Union Jack, and the size and number of stars. A 1998 amendment to the Flags Act requires that to change the Australian flag, a new design must be put to voters and win majority support.

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The Union Jack represents the United Kingdom via that of Royalty, rather than that of Great Britain via Politics.
Politics being more Pro-USA with Royalty linked to Europe.
Hence why UK/GB is a very 'Bi-Polar' nation if ever there was one 
The irony of the Royalty is that they are very 'Political', compared to the other European Royalties.
Royalty was originally implemented by societies to conduct something akin to a Master of all things Ceremonial (MC) and Entertainment. Being one of the most powerful 'Masters', obviously found itself being empowered to take on all other aspects.
Emperors are Military orientated.
As are Presidents of Politics.


When Ireland is desperately trying to join the GB, Scotland would be foolish to disband. Even Scotland is obviously confused with its own state of 'Bi-Polar'.
Scotland, if it votes 'No' - it may be what's needed to shed itself from a bitter past.

It's not necessary for Australia to change our flag, regardless of what happens with the Scottish Independence vote.

Founders of this country   

Just a bunch of Boat Smugglers who dumped their 'useless' here, along with actual 'murderers, etc'.

The British are only the 'Political' representatives in Australia and there is more than just 'Politics' to making a nation great.
Especially when its Politics that will forever keep itself 'chained' like a criminal to the past.

Do we change our flag?

No

Should we?

Yes

No changes to our flag.

Raven wrote on Sep 18^th, 2014 at 2:55pm:


Have to go No and No on that.....

BlOoDy RiPpEr wrote on Sep 18^th, 2014 at 10:57am:


One country comes to mind when discussing flag changing.

Hawaii....

Not only are they not considering a change of flag, but no-one in their right mind could possibly imagine that they were 'tied to Mother England's apron strings'.

America's, yes; England's, no.....