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See more | Photo caption Maxim Hot 100 The world's most beautiful women as chosen by Maxim readers. Slideshow Afghan army recruit A look at an Afghan recruit as he goes through the process of joining the Afghan National Army. Slideshow Scots' push for Britain breakup begins in earnest Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Subdued Libyan funeral for Lockerbie bomber Megrahi Mon, May 21 2012 Lockerbie bomber Megrahi dies in Libya leaving unanswered questions Sun, May 20 2012 Analysis & Opinion Making sense of what comes next in Greece The real reason Romney is struggling with women voters Related Topics World » The Union flag and Saltire are seen flying side by side at Bankfoot in Perthshire, Scotland January 10, 2012. British Prime Minister David Cameron said Scotland should hold an independence referendum as early as next year, clashing with the Scottish National Party (SNP) which wants more time to rally support for a break from the United Kingdom. Cameron, who opposes Scottish independence, said uncertainty about the 300-year-old union between England and its smaller northern neighbour was creating problems for business and harming investment. Credit: Reuters/Russell Cheyne By Andrew Osborn EDINBURGH | Thu May 24, 2012 7:19pm EDT EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Supporters of independence for Scotland will launch on Friday what they say is the biggest grassroots campaign in Scottish history, a move that could result in the demise of a 305-year-old union with England and the breakup of Britain. Seeking to tap into a cocktail of historical rivalry, opposing political tastes, and a perception that the British parliament in London does not nurture Scotland's national interests, the "Yes Scotland" campaign says it wants to win a referendum on independence in 2014 and for the country to become fully independent by 2016. "For the first time the issue is real because people are going to have a vote," a spokesman for the campaign, who said he could not be named in line with protocol, told Reuters. "People are more open to this than they have ever been before. It is fundamentally better for our future if decisions about Scotland are taken by the people who care about it the most." If successful, such a move could create serious problems for Britain - which comprises England, Scotland and Wales (Britain is in turn part of the United Kingdom which also includes Northern Ireland). Britain's Trident nuclear submarine fleet is based in Scotland, revenues from Scottish North Sea oil remain important to its coffers, and analysts say Britain would find it harder to maintain its voice at international bodies such as the U.N. Security Council as well as in European Union decision-making. "The biggest issue for the UK is defense," Professor John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde said in a phone interview. "The question would be whether an independent Scotland would allow the UK to maintain its nuclear facilities there." Despite its relatively small population of just over five million - compared to England's population of just over 52 million - a vote for Scottish independence inevitably would diminish Britain's voice on the world stage, he added. "The rest of the world would be surprised and shocked that the UK was unable to hold together. It would not be perceived to be as big a player as it is now. Its weight in the world would be diminished." POLITICAL DISCONNECT Opinion polls show that around 40 percent of Scottish people are sympathetic to independence, with around 10 percent undecided and the remaining 50 percent opposed. South of the border in England, polls show people are largely apathetic. The independence drive is being led by Alex Salmond, the feisty leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). His party won a majority in Scottish elections last year and under the country's devolved system of government, it has control over health, education and prisons. The British government in London controls foreign policy and defense. Yet Scotland has many of the trappings of an independent nation - its own flag, sports teams, culture and a history of achievements in science and literature. Salmond wants Scotland to have its own armed forces and foreign policy and rejects a nuclear submarine facility based close to Glasgow. The SNP-backed launch of the Yes Scotland campaign will take place at a conference centre on Friday in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, and will be attended by pro-independence celebrities whose names have not been revealed. One of Scotland's most high-profile celebrity supporters of independence is Sean Connery, famous for his cinematic depiction of British secret service agent James Bond. The same campaign spokesman declined to confirm whether Connery would attend. Waiting for a bus on Edinburgh's George Street, an elegant thoroughfare littered with statues dating back to the heyday of the British Empire, 27-year-old bank worker Gregor Low said he would be voting for independence. "There has always been a romantic notion of Scotland wanting its independence," he said. Praising the SNP and deriding the Conservative party which is locked in an increasingly unpopular British coalition government with the Liberal Democrat party, he said Scottish people felt removed from London. "How can (Prime Minister) David Cameron or (Finance Minister) George Osborne know anything about the realities of life in Scotland?" Edinburgh reflects the nation's complex history. It is home to the most tangible symbol of Scotland's thirst for greater independence: the ultra-modern Scottish parliament building. But ironically, it is also home to an array of British imperial monuments built to commemorate the significant role Scotland played in the Empire alongside England. History runs deep in Scotland and, symbolically, the independence referendum will be held on the 700th anniversary of the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn in which an army commanded by England's King Edward II was roundly defeated at the hands of a smaller force led by Robert the Bruce, a source of enduring pride for Scottish patriots. The Yes Scotland campaign says it aims to go door to door in an effort to try to persuade people to sign a "Yes Declaration". Harry Reid, an author and journalist who has followed Scottish politics since 1969, said the Labour party, traditionally strong in Scotland, had seen its supporters switch to the SNP in recent years. That is crucial as Scotland historically is more inclined to vote for the left, whereas English voters have voted in much larger numbers for the right, underscoring a political fault line between north and south. Furious at what they saw as former prime minister Tony Blair's support of U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, Reid said disenchanted Labour voters may yet return to the fold. If they do - in sufficiently large numbers ahead of a British general election in 2015 - the "yes" campaign would be buried, he said. "If we're going to get a decent Labour government back in 2015 people might wonder whether they really need independence." (Additional reporting by Ian MacKenzie; Editing by Michael Roddy) World Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (2) thebruce wrote: Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use AdChoices Copyright Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. 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