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Entry: Which Scots conservatism: unionist or nationalist? Link: http://www.takimag.com/blogs/article/which_scots_conservatism_unionist_or_nationalist#26950 Post contents: An all-round interesting an insightful article, however I have a few quibbles with the conclusions it comes to re: the Conservative Party. You observe that the Conservatives in Scotland are believed to have a larger membership than the SNP: in that I think you touch upon something quite interesting. The SNP membership is, as the party’s fortunes have evolved, quite different from its electoral base. Indeed, I would go as far as to say in that context, the SNP are still a fringe party; socialists, conservatives and anything in between united in a common vitriolic hatred against anything British. Whilst only 37% of the SNP’s electorate believe themselves to have no British identity at all, this number would doubtlessly skyrocket within the party itself. Conservatives may be, as suggested, of a somewhat nationalist strain, but it is a British nationalist strain rather than an exclusively Scottish one. Rightly so - this is not simply a mangled federation of opposing states, the United Kingdom is quite properly a nation in its own right. While there is compromise to be sought with those who vote for the SNP, there is little to be found amongst their membership. An SNP which supported any continued membership of a UK with a common legislative body and the Union Flag continuing to fly in Scotland would be an SNP destined to implode, regardless of how sidelined these views are in Scottish society. As no conclusion is acceptable to both SNP and Tories, it seems to me that the best option is to nail our centre-right colours to the mast and weather the storm we face from some of the public. Sent at: 2008 10 13