News and opinion

In some quarters, last year’s general election result in Scotland was considered the death knell for the independence movement. However, while the political winds finally turned against the nationalists, it would be a mistake to write off their founding political project - even as the world plunges into its most uncertain geopolitical era since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

We invite contributions that analyse Scotland’s political institutions, policies, and political identities - both in isolation and in comparative perspective - to enhance academic understanding of the upcoming election and where it might lead Scotland.

Adrian Florea argues that contested territories in practice enjoy varying degrees of international sovereignty over governance functions

Why do independence movements win overwhelming support nearly everywhere except in wealthy democracies of the global North?

This workshop brings together researchers from across the UK whose work provides insights into the scale and nature of UK welfare rescaling by examining sub-national, devolved and local employment and social security policies. The event seeks to share research findings, stimulate discussion, and consider social policy futures.

Northern Ireland’s politics is dominated by the question of its constitutional future. However, analyses have historically overlooked the ‘centre-ground’ of Northern Ireland’s contemporary politics - the parties and people who do not identify primarily or at all in constitutional terms.

How the Global Attack on Modern Government Endangers our Future

Professor Rob Ford explores the emerging patterns in public opinion and transformations in the broader political landscape since July

For over a decade, debates on nationalism and independence in Western Europe (and beyond) have been dominated by discussions on events in Catalonia and Scotland. Paul Anderson writes on the impact of momentous events such as the 2014 and 2017 independence referendums, the 2016 Brexit vote and the experience and implications of the Covid-19 pandemic on the evolution of territorial politics in both cases.