Scotland

Scotland’s future in the Union is in question.

Since Devolution in 1997, there has been a sea-change in Scotland’s sense of itself. A distinct Scottish political culture has emerged: confident, assertive and increasingly divergent from that of its southern neighbours. Yet, as this timely and perceptive book shows, Scottish nationalism has been on the rise since the Second World War.

Today, the Scottish National Party are in the ascendant, winning nearly half of all votes cast in the 2019 General Election and most of the seats. The Scottish Parliament has been a legislative trail-blazer, enacting progressive legislation well before England and Wales. And Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union, putting it at odds with much of the rest of the United Kingdom on the most important political decision this century. The country has transformed from the socially and politically conservative climate of the post-war period to a nation contemplating, for the second time, a move to independence – for all the uncertainty and turmoil that would bring.

At a time when the country’s future has topped the agenda in Britain and abroad, this book unpicks the complex weave of Scottish politics, society and culture, providing an essential insight into Scotland’s present – and its future.

Murray Stewart Leith is Professor of Political Science at the University of the West of Scotland

Duncan Sim is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow and former Reader in Sociology at the University of the West of Scotland