Edinburgh University Press Standing Up for Scotland: Nationalist Unionism and Scottish Party Politics, 1884-2014

A history of 'hidden' nationalism in Scottish party politics. Highlights the hidden 'nationalism' of the Scottish Unionist/Conservative Party and extends this analysis to Scottish Labour and Liberal parties. Examines the 'unionism' of the Scottish National Party (SNP) for the first time. Draws on high-circulation media resources such as the Scottish Daily Express - breaking the scholarly reliance on the less-read Herald and Scotsman. Makes use of hitherto-neglected archive material, including the Scottish Political Archive in Stirling and the Parliamentary Archives at Westminster. David Torrance reassesses the relationship between 'nationalism' and 'unionism' in Scottish politics, challenging a binary reading of the two ideologies with the concept of 'nationalist unionism'. Scottish nationalism did not begin with the SNP in 1934, nor was it confined to political parties that desired independent statehood. Rather, it was more dispersed, with the Liberal, Conservative and Labour parties all attempting to harness Scottish national identity and nationalism between 1884 and 2014, often with the paradoxical goal of strengthening rather than ending the Union. The book combines nationalist theory with empirical historical and archival research to argue that these conceptions of Scottish nationhood had much more in common with each other than is commonly accepted. From the Inside Flap A history of hidden nationalism in Scottish party politicsThis book reassesses the relationship between nationalism and unionism in Scottish politics, challenging a binary reading of the two ideologies with the concept of nationalist unionism. Scottish nationalism did not begin with the SNP in 1934, nor was it confined to political parties which desired independent statehood. Rather it was more dispersed, with the Liberal, Conservative and Labour parties all attempting to harness Scottish national identity and nationalism between 1884 and 2014, often with the paradoxical goal of strengthening rather than ending the Union. The book combines nationalist theory with empirical historical and archival research to argue that these conceptions of Scottish nationhood had much more in common with each other than is commonly accepted.David Torrance is a constitutional specialist at the House of Commons Library. He completed a PhD in history and political science in 2017, before which he was a journalist and broadcaster for almost 20 years. He is the author or editor of more than a dozen books on Scottish politics. From the Back Cover A history of 'hidden' nationalism in Scottish party politics This book reassesses the relationship between 'nationalism' and 'unionism' in Scottish politics, challenging a binary reading of the two ideologies with the concept of 'nationalist unionism'. Scottish nationalism did not begin with the SNP in 1934, nor was it confined to political parties which desired independent statehood. Rather it was more dispersed, with the Liberal, Conservative and Labour parties all attempting to harness Scottish national identity and nationalism between 1884 and 2014, often with the paradoxical goal of strengthening rather than ending the Union. The book combines nationalist theory with empirical historical and archival research to argue that these conceptions of Scottish nationhood had much more in common with each other than is commonly accepted. David Torrance is a constitutional specialist at the House of Commons Library. He completed a PhD in history and political science in 2017, before which he was a journalist and broadcaster for almost 20 years. He is the author or editor of more than a dozen books on Scottish politics. About the Author David Torrance is Devolution and Constitution Specialist at the House of Commons Library. He was formerly a a freelance writer, broadcaster and journalist, reporting on the Scottish Parliament for STV, and contributing political commentary to a wide range of publicati