ABSTRACT
Scottish independence is not new, but its political appeal certainly is. The country was Tory and strongly unionist throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries. Any discussion of the "possible" break-up of the United Kingdom should start with the simple fact that it broke up a century ago. The Scottish National Party continues to dominate politics north of the border. The country was Tory and strongly unionist throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries. Thatcher's own distaste for localism was visceral, adding to ever tighter Treasury control over the public sector. The longer devolved government lasts in Scotland and the longer any concomitant evils can be blamed on union with England, the more likely is eventual separation. Scotland's place in the UK is not like what is uncomfortably called "the rest of the United Kingdom". Welsh nationalism has a long tradition, but its roots are cultural rather than political.
