Unionism in the United Kingdom

Since the late 20th century, differing views on the constitutional status of the countries within the UK have become a bigger issue in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and to a lesser extent in Wales.

[7] The Acts created a single Parliament of Great Britain at Westminster as well as a customs and monetary union.

In November 2006, an ICM poll, commissioned by the Sunday Telegraph, showed that support for full English independence had reached 48% of those questioned.

On 6 July 2020, Professor Sir John Curtice stated that "support for the Union [in Scotland] has never been weaker".

[15] Following the Brexit transition period, and the UK-EU trade deal going into effect, unionism has generally polled higher than nationalism within Scotland.

Multiple polls since 2007 show most people in Wales support remaining part of the United Kingdom over Welsh independence.

In 2012, Northern Irish support for the Union had increased after the end of The Troubles, especially within the Roman Catholic population.

[20] In part, this is as a result of a decreasing association of the Union with radical or extremist political ideologies following the Good Friday Agreement.

Although critics argued the Conservatives' approach to maintaining their Northern England red wall seats involving "confected rows over flags, history and race" which may "not resonate [with] Scots".

The plan had twenty ideas for the union including reform of the House of Lords into a constitutional body, centralised funding for devolved legislatures, respect for devolved matters, and devolution of justice and police to Wales inline with Scotland and Northern Ireland.

[30] Some media has stated that Johnson "made the calculation that most voters don't care which level of government delivers particular projects as long as things improve".

[32] Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated that Johnson should stop his policy of "muscular unionism" as it would further the case for Scottish independence.

[33][34] Ciaran Martin, involved in creating the framework for the 2014 Scottish referendum for the UK Government, stated that muscular unionism "is pushing forward a single, British nationalist vision of the future, working to shape government policy to realise it, and relying on an English electoral majority to deliver it.