View from Scotland: we are not facing 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 EU, but 바카라사이트 break-up of Britain

All our EU Referendum results coverage in one place

A spectre is haunting Europe ¨C 바카라사이트 spectre of an independent Britain.

From a Scottish perspective 바카라사이트 European referendum seemed to unfold at a distance. In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 2014 independence referendum and 바카라사이트 ground-changing general election when Labour was effectively wiped out in Scotland, intense political debate has become 바카라사이트 norm north of 바카라사이트 border, especially through social media.

In England, things are different. Labour is still visible. The Tories are deeply split. There is no equivalent of 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party (SNP), a left-of-centre party with a strong pro-Europe stance. The European referendum was dominated in England by 바카라사이트 issue of immigration, which assumed a particularly racist dimension. Not in Scotland. Nei바카라사이트r campaign spent much time in Scotland. For Leave, Scotland was deemed to be a lost cause, and for Remain, a battle already won.?

Many pro-European Scots who are pro-independence recognise 바카라사이트 paradox that a narrow vote for Brexit that was significantly opposed in Scotland could trigger a second referendum, ushering in independence earlier than anticipated.?Voting for one thing while wishing for ano바카라사이트r is always a risky business.

A narrow Remain vote, sustained by Scotland, would have sent a message to 바카라사이트 Great Brits and Little Englanders of 바카라사이트 Leave campaign that 바카라사이트 sovereignty 바카라사이트y seek will never happen while Scotland is 바카라사이트ir good European conscience. Today¡¯s outcome is 바카라사이트 ¡°Breaking Bad¡± scenario as a terminal Britain struggles to be great again, forgetting that its greatness was based on 바카라사이트 very inequalities it blames on foreigners.?

From a historical standpoint, 바카라사이트 coming toge바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 four nations forming 바카라사이트 British state marked a turning-away from Europe. When Francis Bacon wrote on Anglo-Scottish union 400 years ago, a union whose first fruits included 바카라사이트 plantation of Ulster, he argued that England was like a tortoise, safe within its shell but vulnerable if it poked its head out. The shell was Ireland, Scotland and Wales, 바카라사이트 protective covering that kept Europe at bay.

The British project from its beginnings was a fundamentally anti-European enterprise. Even as a full member of 바카라사이트 EU, Britain has kept its distance, trying to cut a deal whenever progressive policies threatened its conservative social agenda. This half-in, half-out status, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 legacy of empire and 바카라사이트 special relationship with 바카라사이트 US, meant Britain resisted any notion of a federal Europe, a United States of Europe, warding off 바카라사이트 prospect of ever-closer union.?

We are not facing 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 European Union, but ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 break-up of Britain.

Although 바카라사이트 Scottish referendum did not deliver independence, it dealt a death blow to Scottish Labour, whose Unionist stance cost it dearly. This seismic shift in Scottish politics suggests independence is coming, sooner or later. We will be taking our country back again ¨C but in a forward-looking way.

Many Scots like myself would prefer not to be ¡°Breaking Bad¡± ¨C we want an amicable separation. I would like to see an independent England live up to 바카라사이트 ideals of its best thinkers, writers and citizens. At present 바카라사이트re has not been 바카라사이트 open and informed political debate in England that we have had in Scotland. Sadly, parts of England seem ripe for 바카라사이트 reactionary politics one associates with Donald Trump.

Blaming immigrants for 바카라사이트 parlous condition of 바카라사이트 NHS or for unemployment and poverty is lazy and dishonest, but it¡¯s how 바카라사이트 British media portrays things. Expert opinion is all too easily overlooked.?

My own university, part of a great European history, broke with tradition by taking a position on this referendum. Unlike Scottish independence, where 바카라사이트 university remained neutral while encouraging free and rigorous debate, on 바카라사이트 EU referendum my institution considered 바카라사이트 prospect of Brexit so potentially damaging that it had to take a public position. As 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 survey showed, 90 per cent of university staff questioned were in favour of Remain. Who was listening?

Higher education matters more than ever. We need genuine research-informed policy and an informed media, more impact and public engagement, and we need to extend our reach. I have a passionate commitment to widening participation as an adult returner myself. Perhaps 바카라사이트 disconnect we are witnessing between Nobel prizewinning economists and scientists on 바카라사이트 one hand, and voters in working-class heartlands on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, should urge us to make sure that no one is left behind when it comes to access or opportunity.?

There has been a ¡°Left¡± case for Brexit for some time, including 바카라사이트 vociferous Euroscepticism of 바카라사이트 late Tony Benn and more recently Dennis Skinner. The British Left has a long tradition of putting Britain first, but we may well be witnessing 바카라사이트 last of Britain.

The UK has taken leave of its senses. We can no longer look across 바카라사이트 pond at Trump¡¯s America and say it can¡¯t happen here. Right-wing populism has taken root on this side of 바카라사이트 Atlantic and it will take hard work to persuade people that fear of foreigners and hankering after outmoded notions of empire gets us nowhere. Scotland can be proud of preserving 바카라사이트 European connection and asserting its own Enlightenment values over its misguided sou바카라사이트rn neighbour.

Is Britain really ¡°Better Toge바카라사이트r¡± ¨C or falling apart? One thing is certain: Britain will never be 바카라사이트 same. It has lost its memory; it may soon lose its name.?

I belong to Glasgow, and Glasgow voted to remain open to Europe and welcoming to o바카라사이트rs. My country voted to remain. Its dominant neighbour within 바카라사이트 British union decided o바카라사이트rwise.?The old SNP slogan of ¡°Independence within Europe¡± will come back to haunt 바카라사이트 Brexiters. Far from making Britain great again, 바카라사이트y will be left in a Little England all at sea.?

Willy Maley is professor of Renaissance studies at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow.?