Publisher Description

The September 2014 Scottish independence referendum was an event of profound constitutional and political significance, not only for Scotland, but for the UK as a whole. Although Scottish voters chose to remain in the UK, the experience of the referendum and the subsequent political reaction to the 'No' vote that triggered significant reforms to the devolution settlement have fundamentally altered Scotland's position within the Union. The extraordinary success ofthe Scottish National Party at the 2015 General Election also indicates that the territorial dimension to UK constitutional politics is more prominent than ever, destabilising key assumptions about thelocation and exercise of constitutional authority within the UK. The political and constitutional implications of the referendum are still unfolding, and it is by no means certain that the Union will survive. Providing a systematic and academic analysis of the referendum and its aftermath, this interdisciplinary edited collection brings together public lawyers, political scientists, economists, and historians in an effort to look both backwards to, and forwards from, thereferendum. The chapters evaluate the historical events leading up to the referendum, the referendum process, and the key issues arising from the referendum debate. They also explore the implications ofthe referendum both for the future governance of Scotland and for the UK's territorial constitution, drawing on comparative experience in order to understand how the constitution may evolve, and how the independence debate may play out in future.

Table of Contents

Referendum TimelinePart I: The Road to the Referendum1: Aileen McHarg, Tom Mullen, Alan Page and Neil Walker: Introduction2: Colin Kidd and Malcolm Petrie: The Independence Referendum in Historical and Political ContextPart II: The Referendum Process3: Stephen Tierney: The Scottish Independence Referendum: A Model of Good Practice in Direct Democracy?4: James Mitchell: The Referendum CampaignPart III: The Referendum Debate5: Tom Mullen: The Framing of the Referendum Debate6: Aileen McHarg: The Constitutional Case for Independence7: Jim Gallagher: Making the Case for Union: Exactly Why Are We Better Together?8: Sionaidh Douglas-Scott: Scotland, Secession, and the European Union9: Christine Bell: International Law and Processes of Political Settlement10: Andrew Scott: Economics and National AutonomyPart IV: Territorial Politics and the UK Constitution After the Independence Referendum11: Nicola McEwen: A Constitution in Flux: the Dynamics of Constitutional Change After the Referendum12: Neil Walker: The Territorial Constitution and the Future of Scotland13: Nicholas Aroney: Devolutionary Federalism Within a Westminster-Derived Context14: Alan Page: The Referendum Debate, the Democratic Deficit, and the Governance of Scotland15: Andrew Tickell: A Neverendum?

Long Description

The September 2014 Scottish independence referendum was an event of profound constitutional and political significance, not only for Scotland, but for the UK as a whole. Although Scottish voters chose to remain in the UK, the experience of the referendum and the subsequent political reaction to the 'No' vote that triggered significant reforms to the devolution settlement have fundamentally altered Scotland's position within the Union. The extraordinary success of
the Scottish National Party at the 2015 General Election also indicates that the territorial dimension to UK constitutional politics is more prominent than ever, destabilising key assumptions about the
location and exercise of constitutional authority within the UK. The political and constitutional implications of the referendum are still unfolding, and it is by no means certain that the Union will survive. Providing a systematic and academic analysis of the referendum and its aftermath, this interdisciplinary edited collection brings together public lawyers, political scientists, economists, and historians in an effort to look both backwards to, and forwards from, the
referendum. The chapters evaluate the historical events leading up to the referendum, the referendum process, and the key issues arising from the referendum debate. They also explore the implications of
the referendum both for the future governance of Scotland and for the UK's territorial constitution, drawing on comparative experience in order to understand how the constitution may evolve, and how the independence debate may play out in future.

Feature

Provides an essential, one-stop resource for academics, students, and all others who are interested in learning about the referendum and its aftermath
Brings together a range of relevant disciplines to provide a multi-faceted analysis of the referendum process
Analyses the continuing implications of the referendum for the future governance of Scotland and the UK, and for related referendum processes in the UK and elsewherse

Details