The issue of Scottish nationalism has again come to a head, and is raising serious political issues for all of Britain. The situation has been sparked by the outcome of a recent parliamentary by-election which, to general surprise, the Scottish Nationalist candidate won.
This was no ordinary election. It was a stunning victory for the Nationalists, who already have a small majority in the Scottish Parliament, in a parliamentary constituency, Glasgow East — a poorer area of the otherwise revitalized city of Glasgow, which has been a stronghold for the Labour Party since time immemorial.
Almost from the birth of the Labour Party at the end of the 19th century, Scotland has long been a Labour power base and the source of a large part of its overall national majority, enabling it to hold power and keep the Conservative party in opposition for long stretches, including the last 11 years.