Scotland, Britain, and the Union

Primary Author or Creator:
Ali M. Ansari
Publisher:
The Oxford Handbook of Scottish Politics
Alternative Published Date
2020
Type of Resource:
Book
Fast Facts

A unionist view of the importance of the union of Scotland and England.

More details

This chapter argues for the continued relevance and importance of the United Kingdom as a liberal and progressive idea which has bound and harnessed the competing nationalisms of the peoples of these islands for the benefit and welfare of all.

Assessing the stresses and strains which have been imposed on the idea of Britain over the last decade, the chapter acknowledges that much political capital has been expended during a series of crises, foreign and domestic that have afflicted the state, and that there is an urgent need to reinvest in the political, as well as the economic infrastructure of the country.

Ultimately the strength of the British state and the ideals that have shaped it, lies in its ability to adapt and change according to circumstance and need, and it is this salient fact that has been a cornerstone of the most successful political union of modern times.

English