Key Points

  • Scottish and English politics have diverged significantly since the 1950s, and particularly since the 1970s in the context of the Scottish frame of reference.
     
  • ‘National identity’ is linked to this divergence but not in a straightforward way.
     
  • ‘Being Scottish’ is significantly more ‘cultural’ than ‘political’.
     
  • A large proportion of people in Scotland say they are British, and, furthermore, see little conflict with saying they are Scottish.
     
  • There has been a strengthening of the link between saying you are Scottish and supporting Independence.