Login
Login

2012 in Scotland

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2016}}

{{Year in Scotland|2012}}

Events from the year 2012 in Scotland.

Incumbents

{{further|Politics of Scotland|Order of precedence in Scotland}}

= Law officers =

= Judiciary =

Events

= January =

  • 6 January – The Scottish National Party takes control of Clackmannanshire Council after a vote of no confidence in its Labour administration.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16443340|title=SNP wins control of Clackmannanshire Council|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=6 January 2012|access-date=6 January 2012}}
  • 10 January – The Scottish Government announces that it plans to hold the independence referendum in the autumn of 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16478121|title=Scotland to hold independence poll in 2014 - Salmond|date=10 January 2012|publisher=BBC|access-date=10 January 2012}}
  • 17 January
  • The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill is introduced to create unified Scottish police and fire services (Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service).{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-16583576|title=Single police force and fire service bill introduced|date=17 January 2012|publisher=BBC|access-date=17 January 2012}}
  • The Commission on the Consequences of Devolution for the House of Commons is established by the UK Government, with the remit of addressing the West Lothian Question, possibly removing some voting rights from Scottish MPs;{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jan/17/west-lothian-question-inquiry-commission?newsfeed=true|title=West Lothian question inquiry 'risks creating second-class MPs'|last=Carrell|first=Severin |date=17 January 2012|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|access-date=19 January 2012|location=London}} it is expected to report in the Spring of 2013.{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/committee_on_west_lothian_question_1_2017552|title=Committee on the West Lothian Question|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=30 December 2011}}{{dead link|date=March 2012}}
  • 19 January – Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 passed. It will be repealed after 6 years,
  • 25 January – Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, sets out the question – "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?" – that he intends to ask voters in the 2014 referendum.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16702392|work=BBC News|title=Scots referendum question set out|publisher=BBC|date=25 January 2012|access-date=25 January 2012}} The question actually asked differs.

= February =

  • 14 February – Rangers Football Club enters administration.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-17026172|work=BBC News|title=Scottish independence: David Cameron in referendum offer|publisher=BBC|date=16 February 2012|access-date=19 February 2012}}
  • 16 February – UK Prime Minister David Cameron has offered to consider more powers for Scotland, in the event of a vote against independence.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-17052800|work=BBC News|title=Rangers Football Club enters administration|publisher=BBC|date=14 February 2012|access-date=14 February 2012}}
  • 19 February – Sectarian chants and songs mar the first match Rangers play following the club being put into administration.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/rangers-historic-day-is-marred-by-songs-of-hate-and-ignorance.16793838|title=Rangers' historic day is marred by songs of 'hate and ignorance'|work=The Sunday Herald|date=19 February 2012|access-date=19 February 2012}}
  • 24 February – Falkirk MP Eric Joyce is charged with three counts of common assault after a disturbance at a House of Commons bar.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17150381|work=BBC Sport|title=MP Eric Joyce charged with assault|publisher=BBC|date=24 February 2012|access-date=24 February 2012}}

= March =

  • 4 March – Paul McBride QC, Scotland's most senior lawyer, is found dead in a hotel room whilst on a visit to Pakistan.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17250107|title=Leading Scots lawyer Paul McBride QC found dead|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=4 March 2012|access-date=4 March 2012}}
  • 9 March – Falkirk MP Eric Joyce is given a bar ban and a £3,000 fine over his Commons brawl.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-17310549|title=MP Eric Joyce given bar ban and £3,000 fine over Commons brawl|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=9 March 2012|access-date=9 March 2012}}
  • 14 March – Perth is granted city status in the United Kingdom following competition amongst candidate places to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, becoming the seventh Scottish city at this date.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-17365611|title=Perth wins Diamond Jubilee contest to be named seventh Scottish city|publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=14 March 2012|access-date=14 March 2012}}
  • 23 March – Diageo ceases production of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky in Kilmarnock.{{cite web|title=Johnnie Walker whisky plant closes in Kilmarnock|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17489529|publisher=BBC News Scotland|work=BBC News|date=23 March 2012|access-date=16 June 2014}}
  • 25 March – Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead announces that the Scottish Government is moving ahead with its plans for a rural parliament, as outlined in Programme for Scotland 2011–2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17499075|title=Plans for Scottish rural parliament|date=25 March 2012|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC News Scotland|access-date=25 March 2012|location=Glasgow}}
  • 27 March – A gas leak at the Elgin-Franklin fields forces the evacuation of 238 workers.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/unions-call-for-more-rigs-to-be-evacuated.17155501|title=Unions call for more rigs to be evacuated|last=Ross|first=David|date=28 March 2012|work=The Herald|access-date=28 March 2012|location=Glasgow}}

= April =

  • 18 April – In a rare move, television cameras are allowed into The High Court in Edinburgh to film the sentencing of David Gilroy for the murder of Suzanne Pilley.{{cite news|first= Steven|last= Brocklehurst|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-17754517|title= Filming in court 'not precedent'|publisher= BBC|work= BBC News|date= 18 April 2012|access-date= 18 April 2012}}

= May =

  • 1 May – Scotland Bill becomes Scotland Act (2012) after Royal Assent.
  • 3 May – Scottish local elections held across all 32 local authorities result in the SNP making 61 gains and winning the largest number of councillors in Scotland, as well as gaining control of Dundee and Angus. Labour makes 48 gains and gains control of West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire. The Liberal Democrats lose over half of their councillors allowing the Conservatives, who also lose councillors, to end the day as the third-largest party in local government.{{cite news|url=http://news.stv.tv/politics/98397-snp-and-labour-ready-to-hammer-out-coalition-deals-leaders-say/|title=SNP and Labour ready to hammer out coalition deals, leaders say|date=6 May 2012|publisher=STV|access-date=7 May 2012|archive-date=13 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513131709/http://news.stv.tv/politics/98397-snp-and-labour-ready-to-hammer-out-coalition-deals-leaders-say/|url-status=dead}}
  • 19 May – The National Trust for Scotland announce that the first cursing stone to be found in the country, dated to circa 800, has been discovered on Canna.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18130259|title='Cursing stone' found on Isle of Canna|work=BBC News|access-date=20 May 2012}}
  • 25 May – The Yes Scotland campaign for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum is formally launched.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-18162832 Scottish independence: One million Scots urged to sign 'yes' declaration] BBC News, 25 May 2012

= June =

= July =

  • 4 July – An application by Rangers F.C. to transfer their membership share in the Scottish Premier League to a new company is rejected.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18703183 Rangers newco refused SPL entry after chairmen vote.] BBC News 4 July

= October =

= Undated =

  • 2012 is the seventeenth-wettest year on record for Scotland, according to the Met Office.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20898729 Met Office: 2012 was UK's second wettest year on record] bbc.co.uk, 3 January 2013

Sport

Deaths

The arts

See also

References

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Years in Scotland |state=collapsed}}

{{Year in Europe|2012}}

Category:Years of the 21st century in Scotland

Category:2010s in Scotland

*Scotland