With the advent of devolution, it is clear that the British Constitution is currently undergoing a period of dynamic transformation. England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales were slowly united by conquest and treaty over the last 300 years, a unity which was only broken by the 1922 agreement that split Ireland in two. The last 50 years have seen the collapse of empire, and while the pull of local nationalism within the United Kingdom continues to strengthen, integrative narratives of Britishness weaken.

In this insightful book, Arthur Aughey outlines the changing character of the United Kingdom polity, and examines the developing debate about the meaning of the Union in the context of New Labour/New Britain.

In a systematic survey of historical, theoretical and political reflection on the nature of Britishness, he questions what the Union once was, what it means now and what it might become, taking into account the challenge posed by internal divisions along with the problems posed by European integration and globalisation.

About the Author
Arthur Aughey is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Ulster. He is a member of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council, the Northern Ireland Cultural Diversity Committee and Executive Committee Member of the Irish Association. His most recently published work is Northern Ireland Politics, edited with Duncan Morrow (Longman, 1996).

Reviews
'Logically structured, convincingly argued, and richly exemplified. An important contribution to the debate about the future of Britain' -- Ethnopolitics



Book Information
ISBN 9780745315218
Author Arthur Aughey
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Pluto Press
Publisher Pluto Press
Weight(grams) 293g