National Identities and Attitudes to Constitutional Change in Post-Devolution UK: A Four Territories Comparison

This paper analyses survey data drawn from two distinct time points (2003 and 2006/07) to examine whether national identities in the UK are associated with support for further constitutional change. It compares all four 'national' territories of the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We use logistic regression to model the relationships between identities and constitutional attitudes, taking into consideration other relevant social and political variables. While in England there is little evidence that national identities are constitutionally significant, in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, national identities remain significant in explaining support for constitutional change, even after we have controlled for the effects of other variables. However, this significance needs to be qualified by considering trends in national identification in these territories and the likelihood that these will contribute to demands for further constitutional change.