Scotland in the Twentieth Century: In Defence of Oligarchy?

Abstract

The historian of twentieth-century Scotland faces a number of problems, not least of which is the difficulty of analysing historical trends that have not yet had time to mature into a coherent form or pattern. The massive shifts in Scottish politics, society, economy and culture in the last twenty years or so have frequently caught out the Scottish historian who has been denied the security of a relatively stable perspective from which to observe the contours of the past. A striking example of this can be taken from the study of Scottish political history. In the early 1960s one could say without much fear of contradiction that the founders of the Scottish National Party were of little significance to Scottish historical development. In the heady days of the mid-'70s, however, the history of Scottish nationalism, reflecting the topical interests of the day, became a major focus of historical attention and a number of unfortunate souls were caught out in their historical analyses by second-guessing the future and overrating the potential of the nationalist movement.1 Today we are probably more ambivalent and guarded about the history of Scottish nationalism, knowing that the phenomenon has all the predictable qualities of the Victorian trade cycle. Even the latest one-volume history of Scotland is forced to end with a historical question mark.2 Whether we like it or not, the historical agenda is largely dictated by the demands of the present. History works at its best when there are clear lines of demarcation,