In a series of four newly commissioned essays to mark the opening of the SNP's Annual Conference in Inverness, the party's 75th anniversary and the publication of the first ever study of the contemporary party, ‘The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power' this week, OurKingdom brings together four commentators on the changing nature of the politics of Scotland and the UK.
In an introductory essay, Gerry Hassan, editor of ‘The Modern SNP' addresses the overall context, achievements and challenges of the first ever Nationalist administration under Alex Salmond. Despite constraints and obvious shortcomings, he finds that the SNP administration has had notable successes and has a historic opportunity to shape the future of Scottish politics, aided by the weakness of its opponents.
James Mitchell is the most respected authority on the modern Nationalist movement and has conducted a comprehensive survey of the entire SNP membership, some of the headline findings of which he explores here. He finds a party which in most respects, despite its far-reaching aims, is very much part of Scotland's mainstream.
David Torrance addresses the post-election personal and political dynamics which may occur if the Conservatives are returned, and judges that the battle between Alex Salmond and David Cameron will pit two astute and wily political tacticians against each other.
In the final essay, Gareth Young looks at the English political landscape and how cross-border political traffic in Scotland may influence England and vice-versa.
All four contributions point towards the emergence of a more territorial politics across the UK and divergent political spaces and dynamics whether in Scotland or England, and by implication Wales and Northern Ireland. This environment post-election, influenced by recession, political crisis and public spending cuts, will provide plenty opportunities for political grandstanding and also for imagination and radicalism.
Comments
The political landscape is - England becomes independent and England improves.
England cannot have anything like the Scots until the Communists have been overthrown and strung up. We are crippled by *false* self hate and guilt for the past.
Political Correctness is the heart of this malaise. Until the barbaric and savage is recognized, we will get nowhere.
What this topic suggests to me is that people have sensed that something is fundamentally wrong with the body politic in Britain - That our parliamentary form of democracy is broken, and that change is in the wind. This change could take the form of increased nationalism and a break-up across the UK; but it could also take the form of more open government and constitutional change in the UK as a whole.People sense that no matter whether a right wing or left wing party wins an election, their policies in government will be much the same. They sense that the establishment rules the roost no matter who is elected, and pulls government’s chain whenever it is in their interest to do so – it seems that our elected MP’s don’t count for much. With the banking crisis, people have seen (the banking segment of) the establishment’s mismanagement in its own interests (risky loans = huge short-term profits = huge bonuses), but at the people's expense.Over the last century we have moved from a very decentralized government system that was once the envy of the world, to the most centrally controlled system of government in the “democratic” world today. And as for traditional British values of rule of law, democracy, and fair play - does anyone really believe that they exist today? My own situation is just another (rather horrible) example of this. It could not occur in a real democracy, since an honest government would either investigate my complaint or prosecute me for the allegations I have made. In fact the authorities have done nothing except orchestrate a gigantic cover-up conspiracy. Its URL is: http://zerzetzen.wikispaces.com This is very nasty stuff from the establishment. It could not happen in a country that practiced rule of law, democracy and fair play.On the surface it is about defamation and slander, threats and intimidation from MI5 / MI6, and a government cover-up conspiracy to ensure that there is no honest investigation. What the story is really about is the ability of the establishment and their tame secret police (MI5/6) to neuter our human rights industry, our government, our parliament, and our press – since it proves that high establishment figures can operate above the law with impunity.The British people have sensed that something is systemically wrong with the body politic. They know it is not working for them, and that there is a pressing need for constitutional change. Change is coming, and it can only take one of two forms. Which one will it be? - A commitment to open democracy and the constitutional changes needed, or - a break up of the United Kingdom, in the hope that a break-up will leave our very corrupt establishment behind. Roderick Russell.
England exists. It is the central conceit of the ruling elite to push the idea it does not and that there is an entity 'Britain' which exists instead.
This disconnect between reality and their perception(denial) of reality, is drawing us all down a dangerous path.
At some point the differential between reality and fantasy will fail in a catastrophic manner, and in the sorting out of who stands where, for what, violence, warfighting, will be inevitable. Preciusely because each side does not understand the other, even if they do understand themselves, which I'm begining to dobut.
To avoid this outcome, we must seek understanding, and cooperation and for all sides, not just one. It is not enough to understand Scots desire for control, or the lefts desire for a peaceful world with humans remade in the image of their ideology. We must encompass the right, the Center, the Irish, the Welsh, Cornish, and above all the English, who are without doubt the dominant nation in these isles.
England will not site idely by, a disarmed little state on the edge of Europe, as their interests are betrayed. If the Scots believe this they are enging in a massive act of self dellusion and ignorance of Englands national interests. Trying to shackle England in the process of ending the Union, will only produce a unsustainable state of affairs that will collapse, potentialy in a very violent manner, depending on the circumstances.
It can even be described as immoral to attempt to force a people into a mold they do not fit or want to fit into.
Britain does not exist, yet too many are draw into subscription to this false state and identity. Tempted or given no other choice by our ruling elite. Trying to force Britishness on the English is again looking for a fight. How many of these 'Britons' will stand and fight to oppress the English and deny them their nationhood?
How many will die in the dellusion, how many will suffer for the sake of this idea that you can surpress a nation that outnumbers the rest of the nations of British Isles put together?
And what creatures will arise in the confusion and chaos, wrapping themselves in nationalism, and racism to gain power?
We must avoid this, we must understand each other, war by the masters of war is called Peace, between such protagonists it is called Friendship.
Zen9,
<blockquote> England will not site idely by, a disarmed little state on the edge of
Europe, as their interests are betrayed. If the Scots believe this they
are enging in a massive act of self dellusion and ignorance of Englands
national interests. Trying to shackle England in the process of ending
the Union, will only produce a unsustainable state of affairs that will
collapse, potentialy in a very violent manner, depending on the
circumstances.</blockquote>
Eh!
Could you explain that to me a bit better? I'd have thought that Scottish independence could be arrived at in a peaceable fashion, much like the seperation of Chzekoslovakia. Are you wanting to declare war on the Scots for being, some of them at least, independently minded? Surely not. It would be to deny a process that gave independence to most of the historical Empire, would it not?
I fail to see why England would be disarmed.
And why, exactly, should you concern yourself about whether Scotland wanted independence or not. As you rightly say, England is the dominant power in the UK. Losing us should be, largely, irrelevant to your sense of worth. You have already lost Eire.
It might make us feel a bit better about ourselves, but why should that concern you?
Eh!
Could you explain that to me a bit better? I'd have thought that Scottish independence could be arrived at in a peaceable fashion, much like the seperation of Chzekoslovakia.
We all, I hope, want a peaceful outcome. Such a peaceful outcome cannot be produced by pretending war is impossible or even just unlikely. Czechoslovakia was a peaceful example, Yugoslavia was not. Nor was the USSR, especialy for some of its neighbours.
Warfighting is avoided by mastry of war, not by ignorance of it, and mastry is the product of understanding, by both sides of themselves and each other.
Letting Scotland go her own way is not the problem for England, rather it is 'Britain' that is the problem. Some will seek to push England into a box during and following the process of ending the Union. Others will seek to proclaim a 'Britain' that carries on after the end of the Union in direct conflict with England.
Clearly some are passionately British, and will seek to contest whether England exists, but a lot of those who are of British identity, strike me as weakly so. A poor base to seek to deny a nation its nationhood, but perhaps enough to dellude the elite and the hardliners that they can try. Precisely the sort of circumstances from which very bloody conflicts can arise.
Besides which, if the SNP have their way, no Scot outside of Scotland will have a vote on Scotish Independance and the ending of the Union. What happens to them?
If we assume that English interests are the dominant ones in the Union, then England will naturaly want to take up the position the UK current has, with but a few changes. Much as Russia has taken over the positions of the USSR.
That however is not recognised in what I've heard of debates in Scotland and among a vociferous minority in England. Who see the end the UK as the end of those positions and interests. To them England will be like Scotland, a small nation in Europe. No longer a nuclear power, a member of the UNSC, and no longer retaining global interests. Divested of its connections with the Domion states and Commonwealth. No longer an very close ally of the USA. With all that implies for the capacity to project force in its (Englands) interests.
If they succeed, then such a state of affairs is potentialy explosive as the pressures build up. Precisely because the people will see their interests betrayed and their nation forced to acceed things they do not want to. Getting back to the position we where in before the Union ended, would be exceedingly hard under such circumstances.
There are external powers who will see this process of ending the Union, and sorting out whether Britain or England comes out of it, as a massive sign of weakness and indecisiveness. The sort of weakness that invites pressure, and leads to warfighting.
I hope that explains things a little better, self worth is not the issue here.
The bulk of Ireland was let go, I might add because it threatened northing, at that time the UK had the power to retake it, should it have been necessary.
Well, in 1984 the break-up of the SU looked totally impossible; in 1989 it looked possible but least probable (Baltics excluded) - and in 1991 it proved to be one and the only reality. Moreover, in 1990s, after SU had been dissolved, it proved that 'Soviet Nation' (a very close parallel to 'British') which has been totally impossible to mobilize in late 1980s did really exist - and sociologically outnumbered 'politically active' Newly established states' nations in terms of identity. Nevertheless, as this 'Soviet Nation' had no positive image of political future, it is now next to totally gone.I wonder whehter English elite is sane enough to stay 'British' - as Scottish and Irish elites were the foundation of Britishness in Empire time. Otherwise, if it will be 'English' par excellence, there will be some Soviet (Yugoslavian) type of disintegration. In the latter case, degradation of all the Disunited Kingdoms/Republics will be at best comparable to that of Slovakia - if not Russia or Ukraine. AQ
Whenever I read such things, I really think you can live where you want, it's not really better.
greetings marie
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