In contemporary British politics one of the key issues is the question of Britain itself. In this book the British question is used as shorthand for a range of inter-related issues involving history, society and politics in the United Kingdom. It is a question which involves topics such as allegiance, loyalty, identity, authority, legitimacy and belief – issues that together constitute a sense of national belonging. This book clarifies what is at stake in addressing the matter of belonging and does so within a conceptual framework that will be useful to readers trying to make sense of the comp ... More

In contemporary British politics one of the key issues is the question of Britain itself. In this book the British question is used as shorthand for a range of inter-related issues involving history, society and politics in the United Kingdom. It is a question which involves topics such as allegiance, loyalty, identity, authority, legitimacy and belief – issues that together constitute a sense of national belonging. This book clarifies what is at stake in addressing the matter of belonging and does so within a conceptual framework that will be useful to readers trying to make sense of the complex debates about the future of the United Kingdom. It distinguishes itself from other texts on territorial politics by focusing on the United Kingdom as a whole, its elective character, its resources of affinity and its political function. The three sections of the book explore the British question from the different perspectives of history, theory and politics. The central argument is that these distinctive debates are closely related, and a coherent understanding of the United Kingdom requires familiarity with all three. The book makes a distinctive contribution towards understanding the challenges to, but also the continuing strength of, the United Kingdom.