“Scotland is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, our GDP per head is higher than in the UK as a whole, it is higher than France, higher than Japan. We have contributed more in tax revenues per head of population than the rest of the United Kingdom for each and every one of the last thirty-three years. We have creative genius, we are a nation of innovators, we have a brilliant manufacturing industry, we have a world class food and drink industry, astonishing natural resources, huge potential in renewables and an oil and gas industry which will be producing many billions of barrels of oil for many decades to come.”

Speech in the Scottish Parliament on August 21 2014 by the leader of the Scottish National Party and Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond

This short course on Scottish Politics will be structured around four broad themes.

The Road to Independence

An analysis of the independence debate and the result of the September 18 2014 on the question – Do you want Scotland to be an independent country?

Scotland in the United Kingdom

Scottish representation in Westminster. From the 1979 referendum on devolution to the 1997 referendum on devolution. Mrs Thatcher; the poll tax and the road to the Scottish Parliament. The Consultative Steering Group’s principles and the notion of ‘new politics’

The Scottish Political System

The German-style electoral system; the Scottish party system; the Scottish parliament and government at work

Scotland as a small democracy

Scotland and Scandinavia; Scotland and the Nordic model; the welfare system, education and health. The Gaelic language; tourism; the Loch Ness monster; and the deep-fried Mars Bar

LECTURE SCHEDULE

January 15  Scotland: A Nordic Nation?

January 16  Who do the Scots think they are?

January 22  The Rise of Scottish Nationalism

January 23 How the Scottish National Party ‘conquered’ Scotland

January 29 What are the Lessons of the September 18 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum?

January 30 The ‘Neverendum’

February 5  A ‘New Politics’ in Scotland?

February 6 Scotland in Europe

Email registration to david.arter@uta.fi by January 8

Course attendance and student project (written in English or Finnish)

Assignment Essay (plus lecture attendance)

How would you assess the impact of the September 18 independence referendum on Scottish/UK politics?

Deadline (hard copy only) March 2nd 2015

Length Maximum of 6 typed pages in English or Finnish

Selected References

Cairney, Paul and Neil McGarvey (2013) Scottish Politics (Palgrave)

Robert Skidelsky, ‘Rise of nationalism shows what unites Scotland and England’ The Guardian 16.9.2014

G. Hassan (ed) (2009) The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press)

David Torrance (ed)(2012) Whatever Happened to Tory Scotland? (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press)

‘How a nation went mad’ The Economist 13.9.2014

‘Rise of the ayes’ The Economist 13.9.2014

Scottish Independence Documentary – Part 3 – You Tube 12.8.2013

Gordon Brown, ‘My Scotland, Our Britain, A Future Worth Sharing’ www.gordonandsarahbrown.com

www.scottish.parliament.uk

David Arter, ‘Hijacking the Scottish nation?’ www.politiikasta.fi

David Arter, ‘From England to Scotland with Love’ Maanpuolustus-lehti September 2014

‘Separatists set their Sights on Westminster’ The Guardian 17.12.2014

‘Britain on the brink’ The Guardian 16.12.2014

‘How the Kingdom survived’ The Guardian 17.12.2014

Schneider, Anna (2014) Age and Variations in the Attitude Towards Scottish Independence – An Exploration of Cohort and Lifecycle Explanations Scottish Affairs 23, 1, 55-78