Ten years after the 2014 referendum and Scotland is outside the EU alongside the rest of the UK. The threats in 2014 that an independent Scotland would find it difficult or impossible to rejoin the EU after independence, never valid, are now ironic indeed and have been so since the 2016 Brexit vote. Arguments over an independent Scotland joining the EU as a member state have … [Read more...] about Ten years after: the enduring case for indy in Europe
EU referendum
Taking the border out of politics
In 1973, the UK government organised the country’s first referendum, on the subject of whether or not Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK. Now, as Brexit and its potential consequences make another border poll look like an increasing possibility, David Torrance looks back on the poll, its background, and its later constitutional significance. The first constitutional … [Read more...] about Taking the border out of politics
Can Scotland enjoy a ‘velvet divorce’ from UK?
Had Scottish nationalists got their way, 2023 would have seen the country head to the polls in a second referendum over independence from the United Kingdom – and they might have won. Whereas the first attempt in 2014 resulted in 55% voting “no,” polls suggest that after Brexit, a majority of Scots might now favour secession. But that plan for a fresh referendum was scuppered … [Read more...] about Can Scotland enjoy a ‘velvet divorce’ from UK?
The SNP’s new fundamentalism
Fundamentalist/pragmatist tension has been at the heart of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since its foundation. Such tensions are common in parties advocating radical change. Fundamentalists defend the party’s soul and ensure its core values and beliefs are not lost sight of in the pursuit of power. Compromise is not part of their vocabulary. Pragmatists seek power, … [Read more...] about The SNP’s new fundamentalism
Labour’s new narrative on Europe
With this crisis exploding at Westminster, the Labour Party has a crucial responsibility and a golden opportunity to make all the difference to what happens next.Whether or not the next phase is to involve a General Election or the Peoples' Vote, which many are now proposing, it is urgent for the Labour leadership to set out a much fuller, more convincing narrative as to … [Read more...] about Labour’s new narrative on Europe