Why do the Scottish elections make me uneasy? Because the performance of the SNP, which is certain to be strong, is bound to stir up a reciprocal nationalism south of the border. England’s moment is undoubtedly drawing closer. And I am not sure that is such a good thing.
In his masterly book, England: An Elegy, Roger Scruton describes a country that is, above all else, a home, defined by what he calls “enchantment”, expressed in ritual, culture and the laws which are a gift of the land rather than a mere compilation of decrees. Scruton’s England is restrained, eccentric, civilised: it is an appealing and dignified place. But it is also – and this is the philosopher’s whole point – a thing of the past.
The England that would express itself in a new anti-Scottish nationalism would, I fear, be strident, indignant and, above all, small.
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