Dr Gerry Mooney and Dr Philip O’Sullivan (OU)
The issue of Scotland’s constitutional status is often mistakenly believed to be an issue that pertains to Scotland alone. However, with the result of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum only very recently behind us, the consequences for the other countries that make up the United Kingdom – that is England, Northern Ireland and Wales – are in many ways still very uncertain and far reaching. The implications of the referendum vote, rather than settling many policy debates, actually raises many newer questions in terms of welfare and social policy for example, areas which were to a large extent overshadowed by the narrower constitutional question. This presentation examines key issues surrounding the Scottish Referendum debate, such as what was driving the demand for Scottish Independence on the part of a substantial proportion of the population of Scotland? What were the key welfare and social issues that emerged in the Independence debate and how might these now have a resonance for others parts of the United Kingdom? The presentation also discusses that despite the outcome of the September 2014 Independence Referendum, things will not remain the same in Scotland; relationships between different countries within and beyond the United Kingdom will change; as has been remarked, devolution is a process, not a ‘one off’ event that started in 1999 and finished on 18 September 2014.
Date of seminar: 12 November 2014.
See also:
Briefing Paper 1Briefing Paper 2
Presentation