Między niepodległością a Unią Europejską
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.14.2017.46.04Keywords:
United Kingdom, Brexit, Scotland, European Union, European integration, regionalism, Scottish National PartyAbstract
Between independence and European Union. Paradoxes of the Scottish National Party’s attitude towards Brexit
The purpose of this article is to explain the attitude of the Scottish National Party (SNP) towards European integration, based on a study of its activity in two campaigns – before the independence referendum in Scotland in 2014 and the referendum on continued membership of the United Kingdom in the European Union (EU) in 2016. Reciprocal links between the two events are perceptible even to a passing observer of the British Isle’s political life. The question of the EU membership was one of the most important topics in the independence referendum’s campaign, and the result of the European referendum has been widely interpreted in the context of the second independence referendum. By analyzing and comparing the referendum’s campaigns in the 2014 and 2016 and the period immediately after the announcement of the results of a European referendum, it can be seen that SNP presented the pro‑European stance in each of them, but using different sets of arguments. The concept of paradox, used in paper’s title, is a summary of a number of observations regarding the SNP’s complex relationship with the project of European integration. Although the aim of the party is to regain independence, the limitations of sovereignty, which according to many are associated with membership in the EU, do not raise critical assessment. The support for the European integration continues unabated despite the dominance of negative attitudes towards the Scottish independence movement among the European elites. Similarly, the party seems not to notice the level of euroscepticism among its electorate. And finally, what is the most interesting – on the one hand, the possibility of another independence referendum has not resulted in a change of the attitude towards Brexit, on the other hand in the same campaign it could be seen, that for SNP maintaining public support and a dominant position in relations with other parties in Scotland was more important that preventing Brexit.
Downloads
PlumX Metrics of this article
References
Aldred E., Is the Remain campaign really such a united front?, cz. 1: The Scottish National Party – quietly hoping for Brexit?, „Open Europe” 2016, 15 III, [online] http://www.openeuropeberlin.de/is‑the‑remain‑campaign‑really‑such‑a‑united‑front‑part‑1‑the‑scottish‑national‑party‑quietly‑hoping‑for‑brexit‑by‑edward‑aldred.
Google Scholar
Aughey A., British questions. A non‑instrumentalist answer, „Parliamentary Affairs” 2010, Vol. 63, nr 3, [online] https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/gsq005.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/gsq005
Google Scholar
Bober S., The concept(s) of sovereignty in the Scottish independence, „Horyzonty Polityki” 2014, Vol. 5.
Google Scholar
Brooks L., Scottish Brexit voters pose quandary for independence campaign, „The Guardian” 2016, 7 VII.
Google Scholar
Camp E., The Scottish National Party (SNP). A party of government in the early 21st century, „Revue LISA” 2014, Vol. 12, nr 8, [online] https://doi.org/10.4000/lisa.7008.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/lisa.7008
Google Scholar
Campbell G., Brexit campaign “embryonic” in Scotland, BBC Scotland, [online] http://www.bbc.com/news/uk‑scotland‑scotland‑politics‑35458658.
Google Scholar
Carrell S., Eurosceptic SNP voters could influence EU referendum result, polling data shows, „The Guardian” 2016, 12 V.
Google Scholar
Carrell S., Scotland stronger in Europe pledges to be “Project Cheer”, not “Project Fear”, „The Guardian” 2016, 10 II.
Google Scholar
Craig J., Sturgeon vows to battle Brexit despite poll, „Sky News” 2016, 13 III, [online] http://news.sky.com/story/sturgeon‑vows‑to‑battle‑brexit‑despite‑poll‑10204224.
Google Scholar
Czapiewski T., Szkocja wobec Unii Europejskiej w kontekście referendum niepodległościowego, [w:] Kryzys liberalnej demokracji w Europie i próby jego zażegnania, red. S. Ossowski, Toruń 2015, Polska i Europa Wobec Wyzwań Współczesnego Świata.
Google Scholar
Dardanelli P., Between two unions. Europeanisation and Scottish devolution, Manchester 2005.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7228/manchester/9780719070808.001.0001
Google Scholar
Dardanelli P., Mitchell J., An independent Scotland? The Scottish National Party’s bid for independence and its prospects, „The International Spectator” 2014, Vol. 49, nr 3, [online] http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2014.935996.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2014.935996
Google Scholar
Dickie M., SNP takes on accusations of lukewarm support for EU fight, „Financial Times” 2016, 9 VI.
Google Scholar
Farquharson K., Resistance is futile when you’re Sturgeoned, „The Times” 2016, 26 II.
Google Scholar
Geoghegan P., Brexit fails to set Scottish heather alight, „Politico” 2016, 7 VI, [online] http://www.politico.eu/article/brexit‑fails‑to‑set‑scottish‑heather‑alight‑brexit‑elections.
Google Scholar
Green J., What explains the failure of “Project Fear”?, [w:] EU referendum analysis 2016. Media, voters and the campaign early reflections from leading UK academics, eds. D. Jackson, E. Thorsen, D. Wrings, Bournemouth 2016.
Google Scholar
Haasnoot M., “We are a family of nations”. The effects of the 2014 Scottish quest for independence on the United Kingdom’s soft power, Leiden 2015.
Google Scholar
Haman J., Większościowy system wyborczy. Oczekiwania, ograniczenia, rozwiązania alternatywne, „Decyzje” 2005, nr 4.
Google Scholar
Hellman M., What’s in a frame? Media framing in the 2016 “Brexit” referendum, Lund 2016.
Google Scholar
Henderson A., Delaney L., Liñeira R., Risk and attitudes to constitutional change, „ESRC Scottish Centre on Constitutional Change Risk and Constitutional Attitudes Survey” 2014, Vol. 16.
Google Scholar
Hepburn E., The new politics of autonomy. Territorial strategies and the uses of European integration by political parties in Scotland, Bavaria and Sardinia 1979‑2005, Florence 2007, EUI PhD theses.
Google Scholar
Ichijo A., Scottish nationalism and the idea of Europe. Concepts of Europe and the nation, Hove 2004.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203337806
Google Scholar
Johns R., Mitchell J., Takeover. Explaining the extraordinary rise of the SNP, London 2016.
Google Scholar
Kidd C., Brexit. The golden opportunity that could become Sturgeon’s nightmare, „The Guardian” 2016, 14 I.
Google Scholar
Kidd C., Union and Unionisms. Political thought in Scotland, 1500‑2000, Cambridge 2008.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511756009
Google Scholar
Kirkaldy L., Nicola Sturgeon urges David Cameron to “think twice” about entering Scottish EU referendum debate, „The Holyrood” 2016, 22 II.
Google Scholar
Lynch P., Minority nationalism and European integration, Cardiff 1996.
Google Scholar
Macnab S., Jim Sillars. SNP members should back Brexit, „The Scotsman” 2015, 5 IV.
Google Scholar
McCall C., EU referendum. Where do Scotlands political parties stand?, „The Scotsman” 2016, 26 II.
Google Scholar
Monteith B., Brexit could split the SNP – not the UK, „Capx” 2015, 18 X, [online] http://capx.co/74Ptk.
Google Scholar
Mycock A., SNP, identity and citizenship. Re‑imagining state and nation, „National Identities” 2012, Vol. 14, nr 1, [online] http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2012.657078.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2012.657078
Google Scholar
Paquin S., Globalization, European integration and the rise of neo‑nationalism in Scotland, „Nationalism and Ethnic Politics” 2002, Vol. 8, nr 1, [online] http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13537110208428653.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13537110208428653
Google Scholar
Ponsonby G.A., London calling. How the BBC stole the referendum, London 2015.
Google Scholar
Sillars J., Independence in Europe, [w:] A diverse assembly. The debate on a Scottish parliament, ed. L. Paterson, Edinburgh 1998.
Google Scholar
Simpkins F., The SNP and the EU membership issue in the 2014 independence referendum debate, „GRAAT On‑Line” 2015, Vol. 16.
Google Scholar
SNP, Re‑elect. Scottish National Party Manifesto 2016, [online] https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/thesnp/pages/5540/attachments/original/1461753756/SNP_Manifesto2016‑accesible.pdf?1461753756.
Google Scholar
Sturgeon N., Brexit is a right‑wing takeover, „Newsweek” 2016, 15 VI.
Google Scholar
Sturgeon N., First Minister speech to European Policy Centre, 2 VI 2015, [online] http://news.scotland.gov.uk/Speeches‑Briefings/First‑Minister‑speech‑to‑European‑Policy‑Centre‑1977.aspx.
Google Scholar
Sturgeon N., If you’re voting with independence in mind this Thursday, vote “Remain”, 19 VI 2016, [online:] http://www.snp.org/if_you_re_voting_with_independence_in_mind_this_thursday_vote_remain.
Google Scholar
Syal R., Independent Scotland “would find it extremely difficult to join EU”, „The Guardian” 2014, 16 II.
Google Scholar
Torrance D., 100 days of hope and fear. How Scotland’s referendum was lost and won, Edinburgh 2014, EBL‑Schweitzer.
Google Scholar
Whitaker A., “Euro Trash”. Brexit campaign savaged by biggest names in politics for dragging EU debate into gutter, „The Herald” 2016, 12 VI.
Google Scholar
Whitaker A., Scottish independence. EU financial benefit outlined, „The Scotsman” 2015, 16 I.
Google Scholar
Zurawski J., A British departure from the EU will not inevitably lead to Scottish independence. Referenda are always unpredictable, [online] http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2015/12/08/a-british‑departure‑from‑the‑eu‑will‑not‑inevitably‑lead‑to‑scottish‑referenda‑are‑always‑unpredictable.
Google Scholar
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
