Talking-up Scotland

(c) Common Space

The BBC/YouGov research published on 5^th June and interpreted for them by Professor Curtice, has surely finished off any idea that Scottish Nationalism is, in any way, akin to the narrow, exclusive, nasty forms we saw in the former Yugoslavia, or for that matter, that we see in the contemporary English/British nationalism underpinning the Brexit movement.

Here are the opening comments from the BBC Scotland online report:

‘The SNP has long argued that it promotes an inclusive sense of Scottish identity – anyone who comes to live in Scotland has the right to be regarded as Scottish, irrespective of whether they or their parents were born in Scotland or not. In England, however, politicians have tended to promote Britishness rather than Englishness as the identity to which all living in England can lay claim.’

However, the key data comes in the responses to the question about how long someone has to live in Scotland or England, to be Scottish or English. The contrast is marked, with 47% of Scots saying that someone who has lived in Scotland for more than 10 years makes someone Scottish, but only 25% of the English agreeing that having lived in England for more than 10 years makes someone English.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44300916

That suggests that almost twice as many Scots, per head of population, embrace the more inclusive, civic as opposed to ethnic, form of nationalism. Evidence of this kind reinforces the claim I’ve been making here that we, including those born elsewhere, are objectively different enough, in our core values, to justifiably see ourselves as a distinct people. Here are some of the earlier reports of a difference that makes a difference:

Only in Scotland! ‘A review of small country’s approaches to public policy reform in response to economic, demographic and other pressures found that only in Scotland could this ‘golden thread’ be so clearly discerned’

Scientific evidence that Scots tend to be different from the other groups in rUK?

8% of the UK population and 28% of living wage employers. More evidence that we are different enough to want to run the whole show?

Who said Scots were not more left-wing than those in the rest of the UK?

There are more. Search the blog for ‘different’ if you need more.

Footnote: The last question in the survey about who Scots will support in the world Cup was also revealing. Only 12% choose the ‘anyone but England’ option.