Can Britishness resist the Can Britishness resist the economic crisis?economic crisis?

Arthur AugheyArthur Aughey

University of UlsterUniversity of Ulster

Why is this a question at Why is this a question at all?all?

• A number of assumptions:A number of assumptions:

• of fragilityof fragility

• of the ‘artificiality’ of Britishnessof the ‘artificiality’ of Britishness

• of the distinctively of the distinctively instrumentalinstrumental nature of Britishnessnature of Britishness

• of expectation of the endof expectation of the end

Particular ‘functional’ Particular ‘functional’ questionquestion• Alan Trench: (Alan Trench: (State of the NationsState of the Nations 2008) 2008)

• ‘‘What is the United Kingdom What is the United Kingdom for for in the 21in the 21stst century?century?’’

• Why is this an urgent question?Why is this an urgent question?

• the United Kingdom today has ‘the United Kingdom today has ‘reached the point reached the point where the instrumental underpinning of the Union where the instrumental underpinning of the Union has started to dissipate, and to the extent that it has started to dissipate, and to the extent that it remains it does not attract support for the UKremains it does not attract support for the UK’. ’.

State of the UnionState of the Union

• Thesis of McLean and McMillan Thesis of McLean and McMillan State of State of the Unionthe Union (2006). Distinction between: (2006). Distinction between:

• Primordial UnionismPrimordial Unionism – UK as an end in – UK as an end in itself and:itself and:

• Instrumental UnionismInstrumental Unionism – UK as a means – UK as a means to an end (welfare, prosperity, security)to an end (welfare, prosperity, security)

PrimordialPrimordial

• ‘‘always suffered from deep intellectual always suffered from deep intellectual incoherenceincoherence’. ’.

• Historically, that incoherence was ‘Historically, that incoherence was ‘masked by its masked by its usefulness to politicians and its popular appealusefulness to politicians and its popular appeal’ ’

• This has now become exhausted (Northern This has now become exhausted (Northern Ireland as the final redoubt)Ireland as the final redoubt)

• The question is: ‘The question is: ‘can the union state survive can the union state survive without unionismwithout unionism’?’?

InstrumentalInstrumental

• Utilitarian: UK is good if has ‘Utilitarian: UK is good if has ‘good good consequencesconsequences’’

• McLean and McMillan assume it is McLean and McMillan assume it is increasingly difficult to sell the UK increasingly difficult to sell the UK instrumentallyinstrumentally

• Every crisis of consequence – like the Every crisis of consequence – like the present one – weakens the value of present one – weakens the value of the UK’s diminishing stockthe UK’s diminishing stock

Project DiscourseProject Discourse

• Familiar trope: the Familiar trope: the UK as a ‘project’:UK as a ‘project’:• linked to some external purpose – Empirelinked to some external purpose – Empire• which secured an internal purpose or which secured an internal purpose or

purposes – stability/welfarepurposes – stability/welfare• David Marquand (David Marquand (The New ReckoningThe New Reckoning 1997): 1997):• ‘‘Empire was not an optional extra for the Empire was not an optional extra for the

British; it was their reason for being British as British; it was their reason for being British as opposed to English, Scots or Welshopposed to English, Scots or Welsh’. ’.

• Ending leaves ‘Ending leaves ‘bloodless, historyless, bloodless, historyless, affectlessaffectless’ institutions of the United Kingdom ’ institutions of the United Kingdom

Reflections on a British Reflections on a British revolution?revolution?

• The state as: ‘The state as: ‘a partnership agreement in a a partnership agreement in a trade of pepper and coffee, calico, or tobacco, trade of pepper and coffee, calico, or tobacco, or some other low concern, to be taken up for or some other low concern, to be taken up for a little temporary interest, and to be dissolved a little temporary interest, and to be dissolved by the fancy of the partnersby the fancy of the partners’ (Edmund Burke). ’ (Edmund Burke).

• ‘‘Endism’: UK is a failed project, no longer Endism’: UK is a failed project, no longer delivering the benefits, lacking civil authority, delivering the benefits, lacking civil authority, a partnership in the process of liquidationa partnership in the process of liquidation

Another perspectiveAnother perspective

• Oakeshott (Oakeshott (On Human ConductOn Human Conduct 1975) 1975)

• State as an ‘State as an ‘enterprise associationenterprise association’ - ’ - business-like business-like estimate that the enterprise is instrumental to estimate that the enterprise is instrumental to individual and collective welfare (terminates when individual and collective welfare (terminates when ‘project’ ends) eg, UK plc as instrumental Unionism‘project’ ends) eg, UK plc as instrumental Unionism

• State as ‘State as ‘civil associationcivil association’ – not primordial in the ’ – not primordial in the pejorative sense in McLean and McMillan, eg as pejorative sense in McLean and McMillan, eg as Last Night of the Proms or as the Last Night of the Proms or as the identityidentity of Ulster of Ulster UnionismUnionism

Civil associationCivil association

not concerned with:not concerned with:

any particular projectany particular project

not dissolved by that project’s endingnot dissolved by that project’s ending

not defined by any single purpose not defined by any single purpose

Citizens are related in their recognition of the Citizens are related in their recognition of the authority and legitimacy of the association authority and legitimacy of the association

Different questionDifferent question

• Neither: ‘Neither: ‘what is the United Kingdom what is the United Kingdom forfor’?’?

• Nor ‘Nor ‘Can it resist the economic crisisCan it resist the economic crisis’?’?

• But ‘But ‘What sustains the (continuing) What sustains the (continuing) authority and legitimacy of the UKauthority and legitimacy of the UK’?’?

The Fifth nation?The Fifth nation?

• How can the UK act as a unitary state How can the UK act as a unitary state notwithstanding its multinational notwithstanding its multinational composition? composition?

• Madgwick and Rose (1982) thought that ‘Madgwick and Rose (1982) thought that ‘the the United Kingdom is a fifth “nation” in United Kingdom is a fifth “nation” in WestminsterWestminster’’

• This idea of the ‘fifth nation’ – This idea of the ‘fifth nation’ – the civil the civil associationassociation within which territorial politics within which territorial politics and economic crises are managed – still and economic crises are managed – still makes sensemakes sense

ConclusionConclusion

• Vernon Bogdanor Vernon Bogdanor The New British ConstitutionThe New British Constitution (2009)(2009)

• Criterion of Britishness is simple: wishing to be Criterion of Britishness is simple: wishing to be represented in UK Parliament at Westminster and represented in UK Parliament at Westminster and voting for parties which favour thatvoting for parties which favour that

• ‘‘Britain is less of an artificial or imagined Britain is less of an artificial or imagined construct and British loyalty is more organic and construct and British loyalty is more organic and primordial than many commentators have primordial than many commentators have suggestedsuggested’’