The Independence Question

Citation

Brown Swan C (2020) The Independence Question. In: Keating M (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Scottish Politics. Oxford Handbooks. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 633-649. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198825098.013.33

Abstract
In 2014, voters were asked ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’ Over the campaign it emerged that the meaning of independence was complex and contested. The proposals focused the SNP-led Scottish Government’s white paper Scotland’s Future on what might be retained of the British state, including the currency union, open borders, and co-operation at the European level. These proposals were derided by critics as ‘independence-lite’. The ensuing debate provided an opportunity to reflect on meanings of independence, statehood, and sovereignty. This chapter explores the meaning of independence in the 2014 debate. The nature and framing of independence are assessed with reference to the changing nature of the British state and the international, and particularly European context, in which these goals are articulated. The chapter will also reflect on the ways that the meaning of independence may have changed in light of the 2014 vote.

Keywords
independence; nationalism; referendum; Scotland; self-government

People

Dr Coree Brown Swan

Lecturer in Politics, Politics