The starting point of this discussion is Wright's On Living in an Old Country (1985), which sought to understand how a selective idea of national tradition had been mobilised by Thatcher for a ...disruptive political project that was fundamentally destructive of tradition. This is a rhetorical strategy that is extremely widespread today, alongside the notion that there is one, singular, version of history to be told. In the 1980s the postwar social-democratic settlement was portrayed by the right as a betrayal of the noble sacrifices made in the war, and the case for Brexit relies on a similar appeal to an allegedly interrupted national past. The left has been much less successful in mobilising such stories of national history, and tends to avoid questions of Britishness and Englishness. Given an increasingly disunited kingdom, however, the question of Englishness has become ever more pressing. This does not mean that it is a good time to adopt an unreflected idea of English 'patriotism'. Rather, the left should seek to foster a new, less beleaguered and resentful, more generous and more various experience of cultural identity within England: its ambition should be for a much broader cultural and political transformation. For the conditions into which the Conservative Party has led the British nations may not prove to be enduring. Things can shift suddenly. Nevertheless, as a slogan for the sugar harvest in Castro's Cuba once proclaimed: 'A Decisive Effort is Necessary'.
A Tale of Two Nationalisms Gerry Hassan
Ruth Davidson's Conservatives: The Scottish Tory Party, 2011-19,
06/2020
Book Chapter
A few days after Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, said he had ‘no mandate’ for a ‘No Deal Brexit’ and that he had not ‘been voted in by the people of ...Scotland. He has to respect Scotland’s wishes to remain in the EU’ (BBC News, 29 July 2019). In a similar vein on social media, pro-independence voices called Johnson ‘an unelected PM’ who represented the ‘continuing undemocratic rule of Westminster Tories over the people of Scotland’ or ‘Prime Minister of Englandshire’. Upon the appointment of Alister Jack as Scottish Secretary, Douglas Chapman, an SNP
Scotland's independence referendum was a watershed both for Scotland and the UK. In Scotland, democratic and political engagement has been dramatically altered. The idea of independence has become ...normalised and mainstream -- and distinct from the SNP's compromised version. Within the UK as a whole, the multiple and deep-seated crises of the British state have been further highlighted. The contours of the 2015 Westminster and 2016 Scottish Parliament elections will be played out against uncertainty and doubt about the future of the union. The SNP has seen a huge influx of members, and the Greens and Scottish Socialists have also seen significant increases in members, while parts of the unofficial independence movement are bigger and stronger than ever before. In November 2014, the Smith Commission, hastily convened by David Cameron in the wake of the referendum to discuss further measures of devolution, made a number of proposals for change, including devolving power over income tax, air passenger duty and the management and income from the Crown Estate.
Scotland's independence referendum was a watershed both for Scotland and the UK. In Scotland, democratic and political engagement has been dramatically altered. The idea of independence has become ...normalised and mainstream -- and distinct from the SNP's compromised version. Within the UK as a whole, the multiple and deep-seated crises of the British state have been further highlighted. The contours of the 2015 Westminster and 2016 Scottish Parliament elections will be played out against uncertainty and doubt about the future of the union. The SNP has seen a huge influx of members, and the Greens and Scottish Socialists have also seen significant increases in members, while parts of the unofficial independence movement are bigger and stronger than ever before. In November 2014, the Smith Commission, hastily convened by David Cameron in the wake of the referendum to discuss further measures of devolution, made a number of proposals for change, including devolving power over income tax, air passenger duty and the management and income from the Crown Estate. Reprinted by permission of Lawrence & Wishart
Scottish politics isn't about some remote northern politics but go to the heart of the nature, character and power dimensions of the UK and British state. Scotland has been dramatically changed by ...the scale of the SNP landslide victory in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections. Scottish society, identity and culture along with the politics of unionism and nationalism have all changed and will change further. The old fashioned politics of devolution are dead, but what comes next and what are the consequences for Scottish independence? What has to be challenged are old‐fashioned out‐of‐date views of the SNP, and the unreconstructed nationalism of the British state.
Looks at some of the newer forms of horizontal organising that have bloomed in the space opened up by the posing of the fundamental question of Scottish independence. Given that the old framework has ...been brought into question, some of the hegemonic cultures that were anchored within
it are failing to withstand scrutiny; new ideas have been widely welcomed during the campaign. Organisations discussed include the National Collective, the Radical Independence Campaign and Common Weal. The article also discusses the difficulties and limitations of horizontal politics. It
argues that Scotland already is a different country from the rest of the UK, and this can be seen in these new movements as much as anywhere.
The Scottish National Party has played a significant role in the politics of Scotland in the last forty years. In particular it has contributed to and shaped the impact and dynamics of devolution. ...This collection brings together academics, writers, commentators and analysts of Scottish politics to address the nature of the SNP: its position in Scotland, its influence on devolution, its role as a minority administration and its relationship with other institutions in Scotland, the UK and Europe.
