A SOCIOLOGICAL INQUIRY INTO A SECOND INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM.

Abstract

For the whole of the United Kingdom the September 2014 Independence Referendum in Scotland was a profoundly significant event. However, in light of the 2016 EU Referendum result, the question of the constitutional future of Scotland is as far from being settled as it has ever been. This research project sought to engage with this on-going question and specifically with the issue of a second referendum on Scottish independence. This research generated an original data-set by interviewing political activists and elected politicians from across the political spectrum in Scotland and so offers the reader a snapshot of the various contenders and players in this issue as each ponders and proffers solutions to the future of Scotland now that the Westminster government has begun negotiations to leave the EU despite the clearly expressed opinion of most Scots to remain in the EU.