Scottish Unionist Ideology 1886–1965

This monograph examines Scottish unionist political thought and intellectual history in the period from 1885/1886 to 1965. It provides an analytical examination of unionist positions, examining such areas as political history, ecclesiology, sectarianism, historiography and unionist–nationalist sentiment. It contextualises unionist thought within Scotland's history and offers findings based on both archival and primary sources research along with a thorough background of historiography. It both contextualises and examines the complexities of Scottish unionism during this vital period between the Liberal Party's split over Irish Home Rule until the reorganisation of the Scottish Unionist Party in 1965. The monograph offers a detailed study of unionism at a time of rising nationalist separatism within Scotland. It provides an analysis of the constitutional framework within Scotland for co-partnership within a larger British state. It illuminates the spectrum of unionist discourse during this period and demonstrates the complexities of Scotland's constitutional and cultural relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom.

Dr. Jonathan M. Wales studied European intellectual history at the University of St. Andrews and teaches at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island.