With the Scottish Referendum around the corner and tides of nationalism rising on the many shores of Britain, many are wondering what the future of the island has in store. Many point to the legacy of neo-con Margaret Thatcher as the catalyst for an independent Scotland. Others argue that Scottish politics shout in the shadows of London at Westminster in the UK Parliament and the idea of independence was born out of political differences. Whatever the verdict of the Scottish people on September 18th, many believe Scotland won’t be the same.
Within the UK the debate is raging. PM David Cameron has threatened that if the Scots vote ‘Yes’ it will be ‘Forever.’
On the left, activists are divided about the meaning of Scottish Independence under the Scottish National Party, with some comparing it to the British National Party. As Billy Bragg noted in an Op-Ed he penned for thegaurdian.com, the two could not be farther apart.
You can find Billy Bragg’s article on Scottish Independence here : Scottish Nationalism and British Nationalism Aren’t The Same
James Laxer is a professor at York University in the Department of Equity studies and is the author of several books including A House Divided: Watching America’s Descent Into Civil Conflict and In Search of A New Left: Canadian Politics After the Neoconservative Assault. He joined News Now on September 17th to discuss Scottish independence and nationalism, the future of Britain and the global influence of this referendum on other separatist states such as Catalonia and Quebec.
Christian Deo has that report.
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