James's aim was not to govern either England or Scotland separately but to join them in a perfect union. However a completely united nation was James' dream only. As soon as he proposed the idea in the very first meeting of Parliament in 1604, he was faced with a strong opposition from both Scotland and England. James is often presented as trying to force the idea of a union of Britain upon Scottish and English alike when in reality he asked firstly for a commission who would discuss the idea and elaborate in the next meeting of Parliament. He did not lay down any political plan before 1604, allowing his opponents to consider the question in his generality and at the same time not giving them much to contradict in the first place. Ironically
