ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS Vol. 8, No. 2, 2008
ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPEN DENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY Eberhard Bort * Abstract: In 2007, marking both the tercentenary of the Anglo-Scottish Union and the tenth anniversary of the successful Devolution Referendum, the May elections caused a political ea rthquake, breaking the nearly five decades of hegemony of Scottish Labour at the national and, even more emphatically, at the local government level and ushering in an SNP (Scottish National Party) minority government at Holyrood. Was this the proof that d evolution did not, as George Robertson had claimed, kill Nationalism stone dead , proof that it was, rather, a stepping stone, or a staging post ? If the latter, where to? Just underlining that devolution, pace Ron Davies, was a process rather than an event, 1 part of what Henry McLeish calls the evolution of devolution ? Towards greater autonomy or towards regaining Scottish independence as a sovereign nation-state? Key words : Scotland, devolution, Scottish National Party
I. Introduction * Eberhard Bort Scottish Affairs Networking Europe: Essays on Regionalism and Social Democracy The Frontiers of the European Union Commemorating Ireland: The History, Politics and Culture of Commemoration Devolution: A Process Not an Event Politics Now
40
ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPENDENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY
II. After the Earthquake La dévolution des pouvoirs à l'Écosse et au pays de Galles, 1966-1999 Nation in a State: Independent Perspectives on Scottish Independence Union and Empire: The Making of the United Kingdom in 1707 After Britain: New Labour and the Return of Scotland Gordon Brown: The Bard of Britishness Scotland: The Road Nation in a State Divides The Steel Commission: Moving to Federalism – A New Settlement for Scotland
41
EBERHARD BORT Party Constituency MSPs Regional MSPs Total Seats La devolution des pouvoirs à l’Écosse et au pays de Galles, 1966-1999 The Scotsman The Scotsman Sunday Herald
42 ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPENDENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY
The Scotsman Sunday Herald BBC Blog The Herald Irish Independent BBC News online
43
EBERHARD BORT III. A Never-ending SNP Honeymoon? The Guardian BBC News Online Scottish Council Elections 2007: Results and Statistics The Herald After Britain: New Labour and the The Return of Scotland Guardian Gordon Brown: The Bard of Britishness Irish Independent The Herald
44 ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPENDENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY
Scotland on Sunday Scotland on Sunday The Scotsman The Herald Daily Record The Herald The Press and Journal
45
EBERHARD BORT Scotsman Scottish Sun Press and Journal Scottish Daily Mail Daily Telegraph The Scotsman The Scottish Sun The Press and Journal The Sunday Post Sunday Herald Sotish Daily Mail Edinburgh Evening News The Daily Telegraph The Scotsman The Scotsman Sunday Herald
46 ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPENDENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY
Daily Record Scottish Daily Express IV. The Referendum Question
Daily Record Scotland on Sunday The Scotsman The The Herald Scotsman The Guardian The Herald Scottish Daily Express The Herald The Daily Telegraph Scottish Daily Express Sunday Herald The Independent
47
EBERHARD BORT Devolution Status Independence Plus Quo Sunday Times Daily Telegraph Devolution Monitoring Report, Scotland May 2008 Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation The Herald
48 ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPENDENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY
the Scotsman Scotsman The Herald The Sunday Times The Herald Scotland on Sunday The Herald The Herald The Scotsman The Scotsman The Scotsman
49
EBERHARD BORT V. Towards Independence? de facto The Scotsman Scotland on Sunday The Guardian Edinburgh Evening News
50 ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPENDENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY
The Daily Record National Identities: Constitution of the United Kingdom Political Quarterly The Politics of Englishness The Herald The English Question Edinburgh Evening News Political Quarterly The Daily Telegraph Publius: The Road to Independence? The Journal of Federalism
51
EBERHARD BORT Romanian Journal The Herald of European Affairs Scotland: The Road Divides Grasping the Thistle: How Scotland Must React to the Three Key Challenges of the Twenty First Century BBC News at Ten Scottish Independence: A Practical Guide Holyrood
52 ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPENDENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY
VI. Conclusion Edinburgh Evening News
Edinburgh Evening News BBC News Online (Northern Ireland) Sunday Herald The Break-up of Britain Edinburgh Evening News The Herald
53
EBERHARD BORT BIBLIOGRAPHY • The Politics of Englishness • Scottish Council Elections 2007: Results and Statistics • La dévolution des pouvoirs à l'Écosse et au pays de Galles, 1966-1999 • Romanian Journal of European Affairs • Political Quarterly • Nation in a State: Independent Perspectives on Scottish Independence • Scotland: The Road Divides • Devolution: A Process Not an Event • National Identities: Constitution of the United Kingdom Political Quarterly • The English Question • Publius: The Journal of Federalism • La devolution des pouvoirs à l’Écosse et au pays de Galles, 1966-1999 • Union and Empire: The Making of the United Kingdom in 1707 • Holyrood • Scottish Independence: A Practical Guide • The Break-up of Britain • After Britain: New Labour and the Return of Scotland • Gordon Brown: The Bard of Britishness • Nation in a State • The Road to Independence? • Grasping the Thistle: How Scotland Must React to the Three Key Challenges of the Twenty First Century
54 ON THE THRESHOLD OF INDEPENDENCE? SCOTLAND ONE YEAR AFTER THE SNP ELECTION VICTORY
• Choosing Scotland’s Future: A National Conversation • The Steel Commission: Moving to Federalism – A New Settlement for Scotland
55