The myth of uniquely ’Scottish values’
The latest Social Attitudes Survey shows that Scots think the same as the rest of the UK about pretty much everything, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
Regular readers will remember that I wrote a lot about the Scottish independence referendum before the vote. I haven't written about devolution or the odds of another referendum much since, but a few reports out this week deserve a mention.
Take attitudes towards the current levels of tax and spending 48% of Scots back them, as do 52% of Britons. Not much difference there.
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Then there are university fees. The SNP insists that Scots think university should be free. But the Scots don't agree with the SNP. They agree with the rest of Britain: 64% of Scots and 67% of Britons think that students should pay for degrees.
You can look at the surveys hereand find your own conclusions, but mine is pretty simple: there are no unique Scottish values'. The idea that there are is a political construct, not a truth.
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