At one time it was common to write about the United Kingdom as the fruit of a steady expansion of the English Crown into the neighbouring territories. The subsequent politics of the resulting state was a matter of centre and periphery with all roads leading to London. Distinct histories of the smaller nations existed but strictly for local consumption. From the 1970s … [Read more...] about Making sense of politics in “these islands”
Unhelpful clarifications on #indyref2
The Supreme Court judgment on the legality of a Scottish independence referendum can be broken down into three elements. Two are unsurprising but the third is problematic. The first decision was to accept the case at all. The UK Government had argued that the issue was hypothetical and premature and that a judgment should have been made only on a complete Bill. This would have … [Read more...] about Unhelpful clarifications on #indyref2
Fractured Union
The future of the United Kingdom is endangered as much by unionists as it is by nationalists because of a misconception of the 314-year-old Union itself, according to a new book* by this author. It explores the complex history of union in these islands and the many varieties of unionism and the meanings given to the union. There is, it argues, not just one union or one … [Read more...] about Fractured Union
Flying the unionist flag
It has become a commonplace that, after the 2014 independence referendum, the nationalists lost but behaved like winners while the unionists won but behaved like losers. Certainly, unionism’s traditional self-confidence in its capacity for the political management of Scotland was badly shaken. Some critics said ‘we told you so’, that devolution would inevitably eclipse the … [Read more...] about Flying the unionist flag
GE2019 and #indyref2
Once again, Scotland and England have diverged sharply in their electoral choices. Campaigns in both countries focused on Brexit but in Scotland equal prominence was given to the prospect of a second referendum on independence. In 2014, Scots voted by 55 per cent to remain in the United Kingdom after a campaign in which both sides shared the wish to stay in the … [Read more...] about GE2019 and #indyref2