ABSTRACT
British nationalism has been more evident in the outward projection of the state. In external cultural relations, British Governments have been willing to project an image of the country as a multi-national state, celebrating the diversity within it. The key British central institutions from the outset were Parliament and the monarchy, which came together in notions of the ‘Crown in Parliament’ or Parliamentary sovereignty. In debates on European integration and devolution of power within the state, parliamentary sovereignty has been crucial. The outcome of the 1997 election and the planned election of a Scottish Parliament in 1999 mark a dramatic change in British politics. Scottish nationalism was no longer seen as a romantic movement concerned with cultural matters, but a left of centre political movement. Federalism was on the political agenda as never before, and there was a growing appreciation that Britain was unusual in not having a system of regional government; proposals for a Scottish Parliament seemed more attractive.
