Politics

Understanding Scotland - Society

Stephen Richard — Sun, 14 Nov 2021 21:25:47 +0000

Understanding Scotland - Society

Primary Author or Creator

Diffley Partnership

Stephen Richard Sun, 11/14/2021 - 21:25

Alternative Published Date

October 2021

Category

Society

Type of Resource

survey report

Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)

19pp

Fast Facts

This first report lays the groundwork for understanding Scottish society as we emerge from the pandemic, and addresses the following fundamental questions: Is Scotland on the right track? Where do we want to go as a country? And who do we trust to help us get there?

More details

TACKLING POVERTY & INEQUALITY IS A TOP CONCERN FOR THE SCOTTISH PUBLIC A third of respondents (34%) put tackling poverty and inequality in the top three issues facing Scotland, at least 8 percentage points ahead of all other issues,

THE SCOTTISH POPULATION WANT A FAIR RECOVERY Coupled with the economy being the second most important issue of concern, there is an evident appetite from the Scottish population for a fair recovery from the pandemic that tackles socioeconomic disparities. The less well-off were more likely to prioritise poverty and inequality, the cost of living and inflation, and mental health and wellbeing, with the economy coming in fourth place.

THE ECONOMY TOPS THE CONCERNS OF THE BETTER OFF, WHILE THE LESS PRIVILEGED ARE FOCUSED ON DAY-TO-DAY PRACTICALITIES Recent news stories appear to have cut through, with the cost of living, mental health and wellbeing, and the environment all featuring in the public’s top concerns.

OTHER PRIORITIES ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE CURRENT CONTEXT AND TOPICAL DEBATES

THE NHS IS SCOTLAND'S MOST TRUSTED INSTITUTION With a fifth of people saying that they trust it 'entirely', the NHS is Scotland's most trusted group, followed by other people in Scotland, and universities.

CONVERSELY, THE MEDIA ARE AMONG THE LEAST TRUSTED With 19% of people reporting that they do not trust the print media 'at all', and 14% saying the same of the broadcast media, there is evidently little faith in the journalistic profession.

FAITH IN POLITICS IS LOW With a fifth of people saying that they do not trust the Government or the political system 'at all', faith in politics is low, and especially so among the less well off.

TRUST IS CONSISTENTLY LOWER AMONG LOWER SOCIAL GRADES On all but one item, trust in given institutions was lower among the less well off. This was especially pronounced with regards to Government and the political system, as well as the broadcast and press media.

SCOTLAND IS SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE ON ITS DIRECTION OF TRAVEL 43% of the Scottish population believe that Scotland is heading in the right direction, while the same proportion believe that it is heading in the wrong direction, with the remaining 14% undecided.

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.diffleypartnership.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Understanding-S…

Keywords

Language English

Left-wing regionalist populism in the ‘Celtic’ peripheries: Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party’s anti-austerity challenge against the British elites

Stephen Richard — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 09:22:11 +0000

Left-wing regionalist populism in the ‘Celtic’ peripheries: Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party’s anti-austerity challenge against the British elites

Primary Author or Creator

Emanuele Massetti

Stephen Richard Wed, 10/06/2021 - 10:22

Date Published

Mon, 10/22/2018 - 12:00

Category

Economy

Type of Resource

Academic Paper

Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)

17pp

Fast Facts

This article shows that the SNP and Plaid Cymru have adopted a left-wing populist discourse, based on a critique of austerity policies.

More details

Comparative European Politics 2018, volume 16, pages 937–953. Paywall

Resource Address (URL)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41295-018-0136-z

Keywords

Austerity

Politics

Scottish National Party

Language English

The Future of the United Kingdom’s Territorial Constitution: Can the Union Survive?

Stephen Richard — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 08:33:44 +0000

The Future of the United Kingdom’s Territorial Constitution: Can the Union Survive?

Primary Author or Creator

Aileen McHarg

Stephen Richard Tue, 10/05/2021 - 09:33

Date Published

Sat, 01/05/2019 - 12:00

Category

Sovereignty

Type of Resource

Academic Paper

Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)

23pp

Fast Facts

The arrangements for the countries of the UK are likely to continue to develop through piecemeal change. This change process is more difficult as a result of the 2016 referendum on the EU. This presents an ongoing threat to the survival of the UK as a unitary state.

More details

The 2014 Scottish independence referendum has failed to settle the question of Scotland’s constitutional future, notwithstanding that a clear majority voted to remain part of the United Kingdom (UK). Since the referendum, the UK Parliament has legislated to fulfil the promise made to the people of Scotland that substantial additional powers would be devolved to the Scottish Parliament and its status as a permanent part of the UK constitution guaranteed. Nevertheless, a growing body of opinion argues that more comprehensive reform to the UK’s territorial constitution is required to ensure the long-term survival of the Union. This chapter outlines the nature of the UK’s current territorial constitution, arguing that, while it is formally unitary, constitutional practice suggests that it is better viewed as a union state. However, as currently constituted, the territorial constitution fails to either to adequately recognise the territorial diversity of the UK or to provide sufficient territorial cohesion to maintain the legitimacy of the UK state. An adequate programme of territorial reform therefore needs to go beyond further devolution of powers to Scotland to address problems of lack of security for the autonomy of the UK’s constituent parts, lack of attention to institutions of shared rules, and lack of constitutional reciprocity. Nevertheless, the chapter also identifies major obstacles to the achievement of comprehensive reform of the territorial constitution. It concludes that the territorial constitution is more likely to continue to develop through continued piecemeal and evolutionary change, and that, in the current climate of territorially-polarised politics, exacerbated by the result of the 2016 referendum on membership of the European Union, this represents an ongoing threat to the survival of the Union.

pp 139-162 in: López-Basaguren A., Escajedo San-Epifanio L. (eds) Claims for Secession and Federalism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59707-2_8

Resource Address (URL)

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-59707-2_8

Keywords

Language English