Identity Politics or "Minority Nationalism?" The Scottish Referendum Through Welsh and Ulster Scots Eyes

Abstract

This study examines how quickly British attitudes have changed on devolution following the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. In studying both the Welsh and the Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland, I predict that attitudes and hopes for the UK’s political future will be largely influenced by national identity. I hypothesize that because of this, the Welsh will be willing to pursue greater devolution whereas the Ulster Scots would not. Each nation’s unique relationship to the UK as a whole makes it reasonable to assume that hopes for the UK’s future are not uniform.