The Independence Referendum
2nd September 2014
Exciting isn’t it? And of deep interest to all historians we’d hope. Just recently the expertise we have here at UoG was recognised by our local radio station (Radio Gloucestershire) when I was invited onto the breakfast show, just after 7.30am, to talk very briefly about the historical roots to the often fraught relationship between Scotland and England. Or, as the Scots put it, ‘the Auld Enemy’.
And brief it was! I was just getting into my stride, having talked about tribal warlords, territorial struggles and the fact that the border doesn’t get fixed until 1552, and was just settling down for a nice natter about the battles of Bannockburn and Flodden (James IV of Scotland becomes the last British king to be killed in battle) when my time was up! So, I guess Radio Gloucestershire’s listeners will now know that tensions between the two countries (discuss) goes back a long way but will think it all a blood and guts Horrible Histories type-story. No mention of how much benefit Empire brought to Scotland or the links between Irish and Scottish Home Rule debates. Oh well!
I guess that if people want to learn more of this then they will need to take our modules. Anna French, for instance, covers Scotland’s very important role in the British Civil Wars, Vicky Morrisroe talks about Gladstone and Home Rule, whilst Iain has a second year module which explores Scottish, Irish and Welsh history in some depth!