What was Labour’s role in stopping Scottish independence?

Scottish independence became such a difficult issue for Labour that it is easy to forget the party was once the UK’s staunchest defender. As voters prepared to go to the polls a decade ago, it was Gordon Brown who delivered the barnstorming call to arms that the Unionist cause so desperately needed. In doing so, he made what must rank as one of the most powerful speeches by a British politician in this century. 

Addressing supporters of Better Together, the cross-party pro-UK campaign group on the eve of the referendum, Brown made not just an economic but also a moral and emotional case against nationalism. He emphasised the shared struggles of Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish citizens, particularly during the Second World War, and noted how – in the face of real adversity – common values matter far more than accents and flags. The electoral impact of the speech, coming so soon before the vote, was probably minimal.