Skip to main content
Rebordering Britain & Britons after Brexit

‘Brexit’ and the Scots in England: A diaspora facing uncertainty?

Abstract

Brexit has brought many uncertainties, including the future position of UK-based EU migrants. Our concern is with a much less studied group, albeit one of the largest socio-political sub-groups within England - the Scots. These are migrants who live in a different country but within the same state and recent constitutional decision making has not been kind to them. In 2014, English based Scots had no vote in the independence referendum and in the EU referendum they witnessed Scotland voting significantly differently to England, resulting in ongoing tensions between the UK and Scottish Governments. If Brexit leads to another independence referendum, what are the implications for Scots in England, in terms of their citizenship, identity, and residence in a very different (r)UK? We explore their status in a (r)UK outside the EU, we speculate on whether some might move back or whether, if they remain, they would experience hostility within post-Brexit England. Might the current position of the English Scots tell us something about the future relationship between England and Scotland?

You might also be interested in :

Indifference or Hostility? Anti-Scottishness in a Post-Brexit England
The UK's decision to leave the EU was partly influenced by a desire to reduce immigration. This followed a period of increased Euroscepticism, and an ‘othering’ of those of a different background, nationality or religion, and ultimately the EU itself. Post-Brexit…
‘Scotland's different’: Narratives of Scotland's distinctiveness in the post-Brexit-vote era
While Scotland has been portrayed as an outlier in the context of Brexit, we know relatively little about how ordinary people in Scotland, including a growing migrant population, make sense of this (political and media) narrative. In order to address this gap…
New Scots? Eastern European Young People's Feelings of Belonging and National Identity in Scotland Post-Brexit
This article examines the impact of Brexit on young people aged 12-18 who had moved to Scotland from Central and Eastern Europe. It draws on empirical data collected with over 250 young people who contributed to an online survey and focus groups between 2016-2018…
WE'RE NO' AWA' TAE BIDE AWA': SCOTLAND'S RETURNING DIASPORA
At a time when the world is becoming more mobile, and migration levels are high, relatively limited attention has been paid to return migrants. Yet returners can play an important role in their homeland. In Scotland, with a sluggish population growth fuelled entirely by immigration…

Journal

Scottish Affairs

Authors

Murray Stewart Leith (United Kingdom)
Duncan Sim (United Kingdom)

Article meta

Country / region covered

Population studied

Year of Publication

Source type

Keywords