Post-Brexit Scottish Independence Perspectives

Abstract

The article attempts to identify the socio-political root causes of the recent intensifcation of the Scottish nationalist movement and the patterns determining the high potential of Scottish independence discourse in the formation of internal social confrontation in Scotland and the UK. The paper additionally focuses on formulating the key socio-political manifestations and “anti-elite” patterns of the Scottish nationalistic idea. To achieve that, the key features of Scottish nationalism and the demands made by the separatist forces on the eve of the 2014 referendum are outlined followed by the assessment of the impact of Brexit on the state and the intensity of the separatist movement in Scotland as well as the results of recent Holyrood elections. Finally, the relevance of the article stems from the complex evaluation of the probability of a new referendum on Scottish independence provided by the author, formulating such predictions based on the study of the current socio-political and economic context existing in Scotland and the amalgam of factors elucidated in the paper.