‘Indyref’, Identity Politics, and the Union in Question

This chapter examines the book’s theme in the period of the long independence referendum campaign and final vote on 18 September 2014. It also considers subsequent political developments, in particular the 2015 general election and the SNP’s achievement of winning 56 out of 59 Scottish seats. It discusses changes in political behaviour in the Catholic community, the divisions that have crystallised among Protestants, and the political effects of the growth of the ‘No Religion’ category in Scottish life. It examines the continuing significance of Irish influences in west-central Scotland, and the latest report into the question of sectarianism. It argues that the Labour Party, in attempting to revive its fortunes, needs to challenge the prevailing identity politics and the narratives and assumptions around them.