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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2016
‘The Church of Scotland has consistently upheld Scotland’s historic nationhood and identity’. The purpose of this paper is to consider the validity of this claim by examining the records of the general assembly of the church since 1946. The general assembly’s pronouncements on this theme take the form of deliverances on the reports submitted by the committee on church and nation.
The general assembly of 1946 declared their conviction that Scottish interests were being increasingly jeopardised by disregard of Scottish sentiment and the claims of Scotland as a nation. The remedy proposed was ‘a greater decentralising of authority and an increased measure of independence within the sphere of Scottish administration.’ The following year the call for decentralisation was placed with the context of ‘schemes of nationalisation’ and ‘the possible invasion of human rights and local independence by large-scale collectivism.’
1 Reports [to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland] (1968) p 112.
2 Minutes [of the Proceedings of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland] (1946) p 85.
3 Minutes (1947) p 229.
4 Founded in 1942 by dissidents from the Scottish National Party.
5 Webb, [Keith], [The Growth of Nationalism in Scotland] (Glasgow 1977) p 63 Google Scholar.
6 Until 1963 the peers of Scotland elected sixteen of their number to represent them in Parliament. Since 1963 all Scottish peers have been summoned to Parliament: Fergusson, Sir James, The sixteen peers of Scotland (Oxford 1960)Google Scholar.
7 Turner, A.C., Scottish Home Rule (Oxford 1952) pp 20 seq.Google Scholar; Webb p 63; Reports (1948) p 318 seq.
8 Reports (1948) p 319.
9 Minutes (1948) pp 386-8.
10 Davidson, [Nevile], [Beginnings but no Ending] (Edinburgh 1978) pp 75-7Google Scholar; MacCormick, [J.M.], [The Flag in the Wind] (London 1955) pp 129 Google Scholar seq.
11 MacCormick p 131; Webb p 66.
12 Minutes (1950) p 709.
13 Webb p 66; Hanham, H.J., Scottish Nationalism (London 1969) p 12 Google Scholar.
14 Webb pp 65 seq.
15 Reid, J.M., Scotland’s Progress (London 1971) p 185 Google Scholar; Davidson, p 76.
16 MacCormick p 135.
17 Harvie, Christopher, Scotland and Nationalism (London 1977) p 236 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
18 Reports (1951) pp 340 seq; Minutes 1951, pp 72 seq.
19 Report of the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs 1952-1954,(Cmd 9212) p 9.
20 Reports (1953) pp 693, 708; Minutes (1953) p 401.
21 Reports (1955) p 364.
22 Minutes (1955) p 722.
23 Ibid (1957) p 259.
24 Ibid (1960) pp 790 seq.
25 Ibid (1961) p 103.
26 Reports (1968) pp 112-5.
27 Minutes (1968) pp 416, 419 seq.
28 Royal Commission on the Constitution 1969-73, Report (Cmnd 5460, 5460-1).
29 Minutes (1974) p 102.
30 Democracy and Devolution (Cmnd 5732).
31 Our Changing Democracy (Cmnd 6348).
32 Minutes (1976) pp 103seq.
33 Ibid (1974) p 104.
35 Ibid (1979) p 134. The assertion was ‘Failure to vote will be treated as a No vote’.
36 33% voted yes; 31%, no; 36% did not vote.
37 Reports (1980) pp 103, 90.
38 Minutes (1980) p 90.
39 Brand, Jack, The National Movement in Scotland (London 1978) p 127 Google Scholar.
