1919-21 Irish War of independence.

This war came to a stop when truce was called by the British government, and Sinn Féin accepted,
as they were very weakened, few weapons left, negociations took place. Signature of the Anglo-
Irish treaty in 1921 > Division of Ireland.

North, despite not asking for it, ended up with their own executive&parliament.

In the 1940/50's, the situation was better, tensions were not as obvious. In the 1960's, following the
example of the Civil rights movement (for Black americans), a civil right movement happened as
well.

So 20-30 tensions
40-50 quite okay
60 – Civil right movement (equal right for catholics and protestants), which make the protestants
felt threatened.

Many catholics were deprived of the right to vote as it was only given to those who had a house or
paid rent. Those who had business premisces could vote twice (mostly protestant). Catholics and
protestant launched a civil right movement to protest against the fact that this country was a
protestant country, and that quite openly, there was a protestant parliament for a protestant people.

That started in 1968, and rapidly degenerated as the police rapidly started to repress these
demonstrations, and among the protestant community, encouraged by some leaders, radical
protestant leaders, more and more people became afraid of losing their rights, their hegemony. It
was at the time that Ian Paisley (an ultra radical). The situation was such that in 1969 the Prime of
Northern Ireland called for a state of emergency, and to ask the british Prime minister for help, to
send troops to Northern Ireland, mostly to protect the Catholic community. The British governemnt
was not particularly keen on that but they had to send troops. Were then birthed the "peace walls".
The idea was that in period of tensions, the gates placed along the walls, would be closed. So there
you have segregation². 1968-9, people increasingly started to leave their neighbourhood to live in
exclusively catholic / protestant areas.

January 1972 : Bloody Sunday

With the events of 1968-9, the terrorist organisation, the IRA, which had been inactive during the
40s and 50 reappeared. They presented themselves as a protection for the Roman Catholic
community. They also tried to exploit these issues of British occupation to try and fuel hatred
against the British army and government. They acted as police force in Roman Catholic districts, as
well as the British forces did in protestant areas. The British government had no choice but to
directly intervene in Northern Ireland when in 1972 on the occasion of a civil right demonstration,
13 civilians were shot dead by the British army.

These demonstration were held in London Dairy (which the Catholic would just call Dairy). Tony
blair launched a new enquiry (after the first had everyone acquitted) and it was proved that the first
shots had been by the British army. The situation enflammed, the British government decided to
restore Direct Rule from Westminster. This was meant to be temporary, as what they wanted was to
allow the two parts to negociate, find an agreement. There was an attempt at sharing power but they
failed due to strong unionist opposition. It lasted up to 1999. It took the Peace Process (1993-1998)
to lead to an agreement, the Good Friday Agreement (Belfast). It was signed by the British
governemnt, the republic of Ireland, and the major Northern Irish political parties, except Ian
Paisley. The reason was that the key question was the creation of a power sharing the assembly. It
took several years for it to start working. The result today is a power-sharing parliament and
government. The first minister of Ireland is Arlene Isabel Foster (DUP) & Martin McGuinness
(Sinn Fein Deputy First minister).

In terms of border, as part of the Good Friday agreement, it was decided there would be a
North/South council, so that politicians would collaborate on issues that could be the environnement
(concerning the whole Island) etc...

Since the beginning, there used to be the army on the border, but not anymore. These borders
however may reappear due to the consequence of the Brexit vote.
The border is also increasingly questionned because of demographics. Back in 2011, Roman
catholics represented 45% of the population of Northern Ireland, and Protestants 48%. In some
cities, catholics even became a majority, like in Belfast.

- Flag protests, Belfast, Winter 2012-2013.

The "One year of British flag in Belfast" decision fed the tensions.

1926 : 33% Cath / 67 Prot

2011 : 45 Cath / 48 Prot / 7% other (background)
2011 : 40 Cath / 41 Prot / 17% other (beliefs)

Catholic have higher birthrate. Abortion is illegal in NI.

The british governemnt passed an institutional act saying that NI would only remain part of the U.K
if the majority of its people wanted it to.

As the Roman Catholic were a minority they knew they'd lose the referendum so they boycotted it.

A possible referendum on a united Ireland was also included as part of the terms of the Good Friday
Agreement.

Currently, the major party in Northern Ireland among the Catholics is Sinn Fein (catholic and
Republican) that has always campaigned to leave the U.K and rejoin both Ireland.

The fact that currently about 40% of the electorate of NI vote for nationalist parties, could be
interpreted as those people wanting to leave the U.K. But, as in Scotland, people do not vote
nationalist only for independence reasons.
The fact is that there have regularily been opinion polls showing majorities opposed to a united
Ireland, and favorable to remaining in the U.K.

Martin McGuinness announced he wanted a referendum in northern Ireland asking people if they
wanted to join the Republic of Ireland (2012 January). The assembly voted against it, so Sinn Fein
organised referendums on Irish unity in two border towns (2013 November). Strabane and Lifford.
93% of voters said yes to unity. Yet only 25% turn-out (so even in nationalist towns people are not
that interested in the issue) with a total of 17.000 inhabitants for Strabane, and 1600 for Lifford.

However things might have changed since the Brexit vote. The referendum in Scotland in 2014
really gave an impulse to the idea of a referendum in NI too. The result wasn't really conclusive.
On the other side, in the Republic :

Until 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement, in the constitution, there was a clause saying that NI
was part of their territory.
That didn't canter to the taste of NI protestants. The agreement had the republic accept to remove
this clause, rewording : The Irish nation is a community of individuals with a common identity
rather than a territory. To reassure the unionists, it is also stated that a United Ireland would not
come about without NI voting in favor of the such a move.
Another interesting thing that was included in the constituion and good friday : All people of Ireland
can now identify themselves and be accepted as Irish, British, or both as they wish.

Now do the RI (republic of Ireland) want reunion :

68% say yes, 28% have no opinion (mostly young)
"Unity would be nice. But if it's going to cost money, or result in violence, or disrupt moral and
socal equilibrium, then it's not worth it."

Economic boom : the Celtic Tiger (investment)

After the bloody sunday, there were secrets talks, and the British governemnt offered to give NI
back, and the government of the Republic refused.

In the UK :
41% of Britons believe Northern Ireland should be joined with the Irish republic. 26% say it should
continue as part of the UK.

If following the Brexit, Ireland finally votes for independence, it will bring changes in the UK and
its unity.

2 - Welsh Nationalism
Common decisions for Wales and England (for most acts of parliaments). In the 19th, gladstone
could claim that "the distinction between England and Wales ... is totally unknown to our
constitution.
Welsh Nationalism had to build on something else (language, religion and culture). Religion is
methodism. They follow strict methods based on the bible and are not anglicans. No desire to break
from the British connection but will to guarantee distinctive institutions.

Plaid Cymru created in1925 – began as a movement to preserve the language.

1960s: modern campaign for Welsh devolution. Coal and Steel, the strong industries of 19th and
early 20th, but in the 1960, these industries lost speed and closed down one after the other.
The reason why more and more people voted nationalist was not because they wanted the
independence of Wales, but because Plaid Cymru appeared as the only way to make themselves
heard.

July 1966 : first seat in the Commons. 3 in 1974 (one year after the petrol shock). Observers
mininterpreted the strengthening of nationalists, and thought that people were more and more
nationlists and wanted their autonomy. Yet that was mostly a protest vote.
To answer this, the labour decided to organise a referendum on autonomy. The electorate that voted
Plaid Cymru used to be labour voters (Wales used to be a labour stronghold), which they truly
needed. They wanted to win them back with the referendum by showing care. In the end : Less than
60% turnout, and 20% vote yes (so 12% total population)

1979 : Margaret Thatcher comes in power. In the 1980s was the time when Wales nationalism more
strongly emerged. The reasons were more or less the same than in the 60s, but ten times stronger
(pit closure, high unemployment). She was a neoliberal, and hated for that in Wales.

2 – Scotland

- The growh of political nationalism

The campaign for homerule had begun in the 19th century, and the argument here was that they had
distinct institutions, education system, judicial system and church. Yet they didn't have the tool to
enforce acts.

1934: creation of the Scottish National Party. At first, it was not particularly popular (slump, no
more interest in the Empire, U.K).

In the 1969, the situation of Scotland (which couldn't survive on its own) changed when they
discovered oil in the North Sea. It was an argument for independence.
The fact that a British company started exploiting made a strong case for SNP arguments.
The second element that made it possible for more and more Scottish people to believe in an
independent Scotland. 1973 the UK joined the EEC.
The fact that the UK was now part of it meant that even if Scots became independent, it would have
trading parters. When the UK joined the EEC, it regave an impulse to the nationalist discourse.

Thatcher = "The unwilling midwife of devolution".

- 1980s : an extremely dynamic period

The Thatcher years gave a boost to Scottish nationalism. Same decline than Wales. (and huge
differences between richer English and poorer Scots, Welsh and Irish)

Representatives of civil society met on several occasions and issued a document named the claim of
right (1988). Thatcher absolutely refused it, giving the idea to Labour to include in their memento.

God saved the queen was replaced by the Scots by : Flower Scotland.

Devolution is something that the labour party promised as a way to win back their electorate. They
promised a referendum if elected. In may 1997, New labour was elected to power after 18y of
conservative law, and the new prime minister was Tony Blair.

Two referendums on devolution :

Scotland : 74 Yes
Wales 50.3% Yes