Political Science the United Kingdom Discussion Questions
Explain why it was easier for the UK to leave the EU than it would be for Scotland to leave UK?
Explain how a decision by the UK Supreme Court to allow a Scottish referendum could be undermined by the British parliament
Identify the concerns about the UK joining the EU expressed by French President Charles De Gaulle and Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell.
Explain why the Maastricht Treaty was not popular in the UK.
Evaluate the last sentence in the Brexit article, “The most striking consequence of (Brexit) might not be Britain’s exit from a(n) EU . . . , but the break-up of the nation-state whose sovereignty the Brexiteers sought to defend.” Explain why the author believes that UK’s nation-state may be threatened and explain what you believe to be the biggest consequence (positive or negative) of Brexit.
The United Kingdom
Most Scots want independence, but they lack the means to get itThe constitution is Westminster’s domain
Jan 30th 2021
As boris johnson flew northward on January 28th to try to persuade the Scots of the value of the union, the land beneath him seemed ready to break apart. Many unionists think the United Kingdom is bound to disintegrate. Brexit has loosened the bonds between the four nations. More than twice as many Britons think Scotland will get independence in ten years than think the country will hold together (see chart). Fewer than half say they’d be upset.
The Scottish National Party (snp) is expected to win a majority in elections to the Scottish Parliament in May, which it will use to seek a second referendum on separation. In the first ballot, held in 2014, Scots voted to remain in the uk, but a majority now consistently say they want independence. Nicola Sturgeon, the snp leader, has strong approval ratings; Mr Johnson does not. Brexit is causing havoc with the Scottish fishing industry. Scots think independence will leave them poorer, but like Brexit the project is a triumph of constitutional ideals over economic interest.
And yet to Scottish Nationalists the United Kingdom looks vexingly robust. Despite support for independence, a mechanism to break up the uk lies frustratingly beyond reach. On January 24th, Michael Russell, the snp minister responsible for the constitution, presented his impatient members with a new plan to force a referendum. Its chances of working are slim.