<P> Negotiations between the English and Scottish commissioners took place between 16 April and 22 July 1706 at the Cockpit in London . Each side had its own particular concerns . Within a few days, England gained a guarantee that the Hanoverian dynasty would succeed Queen Anne to the Scottish crown, and Scotland received a guarantee of access to colonial markets, in the hope that they would be placed on an equal footing in terms of trade . </P> <P> After negotiations ended in July 1706, the acts had to be ratified by both Parliaments . In Scotland, about 100 of the 227 members of the Parliament of Scotland were supportive of the Court Party . For extra votes the pro-court side could rely on about 25 members of the Squadrone Volante, led by the Marquess of Montrose and the Duke of Roxburghe . Opponents of the court were generally known as the Country party, and included various factions and individuals such as the Duke of Hamilton, Lord Belhaven and Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, who spoke forcefully and passionately against the union . The Court party enjoyed significant funding from England and the Treasury and included many who had accumulated debts following the Darien Disaster . </P> <P> In Scotland, the Duke of Queensberry was largely responsible for the successful passage of the Union act by the Scottish Parliament . In Scotland, he received much criticism from local residents, but in England he was cheered for his action . He had received around half of the funding awarded by the Westminster treasury for himself . In April 1707, he travelled to London to attend celebrations at the royal court, and was greeted by groups of noblemen and gentry lined along the road . From Barnet, the route was lined with crowds of cheering people, and once he reached London a huge crowd had formed . On 17 April, the Duke was gratefully received by the Queen at Kensington Palace . </P> <P> The English purpose was to ensure that Scotland would not choose a monarch different from the one on the English throne . The two countries had shared a king for much of the previous century, but the English were concerned that an independent Scotland with a different king, even if he were a Protestant, might make alliances against England . The English succession was provided for by the English Act of Settlement 1701, which ensured that the monarch of England would be a Protestant member of the House of Hanover . Until the Union of Parliaments, the Scottish throne might be inherited by a different successor after Queen Anne: the Scottish Act of Security 1704 granted parliament the right to choose a successor and explicitly required a choice different from the English monarch unless the English were to grant free trade and navigation . Many people in England were unhappy about the prospect, however . English overseas possessions made England very wealthy in comparison to Scotland, a poor country with few roads, very little industry and almost no Navy . This made some view unification as a markedly unequal relationship . </P>

Who was the guiding force for the unification of england in 1707