British Unionists must appeal to our hearts and minds to save the UK

Brexit is done. Yes, I know our relationship with the EU will never be settled, it will ebb and flow, but for now the rejoin movement is nowhere to be seen. The next big political battle for the people of these islands is for the continued existence of United Kingdom itself.

The SNP’s victory in the recent Scottish Parliament’s elections and changing demographics in Northern Ireland have convinced some that the breakup of Britain is not far away. But there is nothing inevitable about any of this.

No referendum has yet been called and we remain in a pandemic, but already nationalists are making their case. Somewhat awkwardly though the very arguments they made against Brexit have now been flipped on their head.

For years they bemoaned abandoning the economic and political union of the EU as madness and yet are proposing doing precisely the same to the UK – a union economically more important and one that’s politically woven much deeper into the fabric of these islands.

Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon during a visit to Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, after the SNP won a fourth victory in the Scottish Parliament election.
Andrew Milligan

Much will be made of this by unionists in the years to come. If Scotland were to leave and try to rejoin the EU (and that is far from clear), questions remain. What currency would they use? How could you tackle the national fiscal deficit and falling energy prices? Could we see a hard border between Scotland and England? The SNP know they will not win without credible answers. If you thought Brexit was difficult, independence, the ending of a 315-year union, will not be a walk in the park.

For Northern Ireland, reunification is trickier still. For the past 100 years, the division on the island of Ireland for right or wrong has created two very different political entities. Can both sides reconcile these differences and is Ireland prepared to change its whole identity for reunification? That discussion south of the border has only just begun. Maybe not a surprise that most in Ireland don’t expect anything to change for another 25 years.

Ultimately though these are troubling times for Britain. All unionists must recognise and understand the division and discontentment, that stretches beyond Scotland and Northern Ireland. But they must also realise that the UK cannot be saved by appealing to the head alone. For Scottish and Irish nationalists their strongest draw will be an emotional one, a once in a generation chance for change. One that will play on distinctive history and culture as much as current political differences.

If unionists really want to save the UK, they must appeal to heart as well as head. For the past 20 years, the number of people who call themselves British has been falling – in favour of being English, Scottish or Welsh first. This should be a wake-up call for those who care about the union. What it means to be British cannot rely on legitimate concerns about economic fallout, but must be something wider, something deeper – our identity, history, culture and language. Us Brits have this in bucket loads, it is about time we started making that argument, reminding everyone what binds us together. Only then, can we start a proper defence of our country, the United Kingdom.