Between autonomy and interdependence: Scottish independence and intergovernmental co-ordination

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Supporters of Scottish independence have been keen to emphasize that an independent Scotland would maintain close ties to the other nations of the British Isles after independence. These ties - often dubbed 'the British dimension' of independence - would not just be between people and business. It is assumed that governments would also sometimes work together in shared institutions and that some common services may still be delivered north and south of the border. This research explores and evaluates these assumptions, and the impact such associations would have for government and governing. A primary goal is to inform political, policy and public debates on the opportunities and constraints of Scottish independence. It examines the feasibility and likely character of these kinds of relationships between the Scottish government and the (rest of) UK government in the event of independence. How much inter-governmental co-ordination would be necessary? Are existing institutions and processes capable of facilitating relations between two independent countries, and if not, what institutions would need to be put in place? And what would be the power relationship between the key players: could an independent Scotland as a small sovereign country have power and influence in its relations with its much larger and more powerful neighbour? How might these relations be shaped by the institutions and procedures in place, or the profile and salience of the policies under discussion? And how would disputes be resolved?To help answer these questions, the research takes a focused look at two policy areas - social security and energy. If Scots voted YES in the independence referendum, it is likely that responsibility for these would shift from the UK parliament and government to the Scottish parliament and government. However, overlaps may remain as a result of the shared labour market, shared energy market, the free movement of people, goods and business across the British Isles, and the legacy of shared service provision over many decades. These would require some degree of co-ordination between governments. This project will explore the scope for intergovernmental relations in each of these fields and consider the likely character that these relations may have. We might expect relations to be more manageable in the energy field, where both governments broadly share a commitment to low carbon energy (albeit that the current Scottish government has rejected nuclear energy), but more problematic in the field of social security, given the competing views on welfare reform among the leading parties north and south of the border.To help shed light on these issues, the project will look to other sovereign countries and their relations with their neighbours. It will study Denmark and its relations with the other Nordic countries, with whom Denmark shares a labour market, energy market, shared intergovernmental institutions and in part a shared culture. The project will also draw insights from Ireland. The Irish Republic has long had intergovernmental relationships and agreements with the UK government, including a common travel area for their citizens that includes shared entitlements to public services. As a devolved territory within the UK, Northern Ireland has responsibility for social security and energy, and must liaise with both the UK government and the Irish government to manage overlaps, matters of mutual concern and shared responsibilities. These comparative cases will be used to understand the dynamics of intergovernmental relations between independent or semi-independent countries, and to help me to develop scenarios of how intergovernmental co-ordination might take shape after Scottish independence.The research will make a contribution to academic study and be conveyed to broader audiences in a wide variety of public events, media contributions and seminars with key stakeholders in the fields of social security and energy.