Narrator: What does it mean to be Scottish today? Are we just part of the mix of the UK, or are we our own people going in our own direction?
Narrator: Historically, we’ve always been something of a nation apart. The romans might have battled their way across Europe, but when they hit the particular mix of rugged landscape and blue-painted warriors that Scotland presented them with, they decided to brush up on their DIY skills instead…
Narrator: Right through the Middle Ages, there was plenty of trade and cultural exchange between Scotland and England, but the nations weren’t politically united until 1707.
Narrator: In the 20th century however, there was a growing belief that those in faraway London just didn’t understand how things work up here in Scotland.
Narrator: Some argued that we should go back to being an independent country. Others said it would make more sense to remain within the Union, but with more direct power over Scottish affairs.
Narrator: In 1997, a referendum was held and the Scottish people voted for a new political structure – devolution, which led to the Scottish parliament, Holyrood, being re-established.
Narrator: Essentially that makes us a semi-independent nation. The Scottish Parliament has the power to pass bills in many areas - such as education, transport, or the environment, and in those areas it can decide to go in different directions from the rest of the UK. But in other areas, such as social security or foreign policy, Holyrood has only very limited powers.
Narrator: However, there were two more referendums, one on Scottish independence in 2014 and then on leaving the European Union in 2016, which have made things a wee bit confused. We voted to remain part of the UK, though only by a narrow margin… and then we voted strongly to remain in the EU. So it looks as if we can either remain part of Britain, or remain part of the EU, but…. we can’t do both.
Narrator: That’s left an amount of uncertainty about the future, but one of the positive aspects has been a massive engagement with politics, particularly by young people. More than 84% of the population turned out to vote in the independence referendum, which smashed the record for UK politics. The lower voting age of 16 for local and Scottish parliamentary elections might have contributed to this.
Narrator: Young people aren’t just voting, they’re getting involved in campaigning – even standing for office. The candidate who won the seat for Paisley in 2015, Mhairi Black, was only 20, which made her the youngest person to become an MP since a certain James Dickson in Ireland back in 1880 – and he was nowhere near as good at using social media. The first speech that Mhairi Black gave in parliament clocked up 10 million views in just a few days.
Narrator: It’s not clear what direction things are going to head in. But the traditional Scots insistence on doing things our way, is bound to remain.
Through a compelling mix of traditional illustrations and modern animation, this short film for secondary schools serves as an animated summary of citizenship issues as they relate to Scotland.
It examines topics such national identity, Scotland's independence movements and Scotland's relationship with the European Union.
The film also outlines Scotland's relationship to the United Kingdom, both historically and as it is now.
Please note that this video was created in 2018.
Teacher Notes
This short film underlines the importance of being an active and engaged citizen in the political process. Therefore, it could provide a springboard for classroom discussion about types of political engagement.
After watching the film you could have a class discussion and/or debate about their views on Scotland's relationship to the rest of the United Kingdom and towards Europe.
Curriculum Notes
This short film covers the following aspects of the Scottish curriculum:
- The different ways in which a citizen can contribute to the improvement of his or her community, to include the opportunity to participate actively in community volunteering, as well as other forms of responsible activity.
- The legal system in the UK, different sources of law and how the law helps society deal with complex problems.
- Parliamentary democracy and the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, including the power of government, the role of citizens and Parliament in holding those in power to account, and the different roles of the executive, legislature and judiciary and a free press.
More from How Government Works:
British law and the constitution. video
An animated overview of the foundation of British law and the constitution.
What is political power? video
A summary of the key aspects of political power, including the history, forms and ideas that make and maintain it.
Citizenship and politics in Northern Ireland. video
An animated summary of citizenship in Northern Ireland, including national identity and the independence movements.
Citizenship and politics in Wales. video
An animated summary of citizenship in Wales, including national identity and Wales' relationship with the European Union.
Dinasyddiaeth a Gwleidyddiaeth yng Nghymru. video
Ffilm animeiddiedig fer yn crynhoi materion dinasyddiaeth a pha mor berthnasol ydyn nhw i Gymru.
