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The research goals were to obtain an understanding of who the users of e‐books in the NHS are, what they are using e‐books for, and when and how they use them. This article presents the methodology used and the findings from the research. It also explores the outputs and next steps from the research, both for the individual countries and collectively. The Five Nations group, (library leads in England, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) commissioned research into healthcare staff use and non‐use of e‐books to understand the behaviours, needs and expectations of healthcare staff and to identify shared challenges around e‐books to inform policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joined-up government has featured prominently on the agenda of the New Labour government in the UK. However, the politics of joining-up remain under-explored, with disproportionate emphasis on the technical and managerial dimensions of the challenge. This paper argues that political value conflicts form an essential part of the explanation for the replication of ‘silos’ within city strategic partnerships, the joining-up institution of choice at the local scale. A study of the local politics of social inclusion in the British cities of Dundee and Hull revealed a strong partnership ethos. However, this ethos sustained only a shallow consensus over abstract goals, at the same time legitimating the avoidance of political value conflicts. Thematic partnerships comprising interest group clusters with different political values therefore tended to replicate silo practices. The paper argues, consequently, that the consensual partnership ethos caused the displacement of value conflicts, in turn causing fragmented governance. It concludes with three propositions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses developments in the last five to six years in the provision of operational flood forecasting in England, Wales, and Scotland. Before the formation of the Environment Agency EA in England and Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency SEPA, flood forecasting capabilities were fragmented. Just over a decade ago both organisations received governmental mandates for the provision of flood forecasting and warning nationally, and have as a result in recent years established systems providing national coverage: the National Flood Forecasting System, and Flood Early Warning System FEWS Scotland. These have facilitated a rapid expansion of catchments for which forecasts are provided, and the common framework used has enabled a more rapid introduction of scientific advances in forecasting techniques. This paper gives an overview of some of these recent developments, as well as providing an outlook to further developments to be undertaken in the near future. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A monophasic group B Salmonella enterica 4,12:a:-- was first isolated in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in Scotland in 1991. This paper reports the isolation of the same group B S enterica from harbour porpoise carcases found stranded along the Cornwall and Devon coastlines. Between 1991 and 2002, 80 harbour porpoises were submitted for postmortem examination and subjected to bacteriological examination under the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme. A total of 28 Salmonella isolates were recovered and subjected to several tests, including biochemical, molecular and serological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1970s, there has been growing academic interest in children and young people living in state care and, more recently, in the lives of disabled children. However, there has been little attention on the lives of disabled children who are looked after by the state. This paper compares and critiques what is known about the numbers of disabled children who are looked after in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We discuss the conceptual and methodological limitations of systematically collecting data on disabled children in state care across the UK. We argue that to ensure that the rights of disabled children in state care are identified, acknowledged and upheld, ‘being counted’ is a fundamental first step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Regulation of electronic cigarettes has moved to the top of the addiction policy agenda, as demonstrated by the recent focus across the United Kingdom on introducing age-of-sale restrictions. However, the views of those affected by such regulation remain largely unexplored. This paper presents the first detailed qualitative exploration of adolescents' perceptions of existing, and opinions about potential e-cigarette regulation. Methods Sixteen focus groups, including a total of 83 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 years, were conducted in deprived, mixed and affluent urban areas in Scotland and England between November 2014 and February 2015. Transcripts were imported into Nivivo 10, coded thematically and analysed. Results Participants critically considered existing evidence and competing interests in regulatory debates and demonstrated sophisticated understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of regulation. They overwhelmingly supported strong e-cigarette regulation and endorsed restrictions on sales to minors, marketing and e-cigarette use in public places. Concern about potential health harms of e-cigarette use and marketing increasing the acceptability of vaping and smoking led these adolescents to support regulation. Conclusions In focus group discussions, a sample of UK adolescents exposed to particular communications about e-cigarettes supported strict regulation of e-cigarettes, including banning sales to minors and use in indoor public areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2012, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond announced a radical measure that would see every Scottish school student study a Scottish text from a prescribed list. In 2010, Michael Gove announced that ‘Our literature is the best in the world’ and that every pupil should study particular authors. The ‘cultural heritage’ model of English is increasingly dismissed by teachers and students However, it is this ‘cultural heritage’ model which is preserved in the discourse of politicians. This paper explores the role that literary heritage texts play in the discourse of education policy in the context of devolution in twenty-first century Britain and considers the drivers and differences which can be seen in England and Scotland. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ABSTRACT Until recently, little was known about kinship care in the UK. Research has begun to illuminate the circumstances which lead to children being cared for by relatives, and the stresses and strains experienced by carers. However, most UK research has only considered 'looked-after' children placed with formal approved kinship foster carers, although this group forms the smallest proportion of children in kinship arrangements. In this paper, we use microdata from the 2001 UK Population Census to examine the characteristics of kinship carers and children, and demonstrate that most children in kinship care are growing up in informal unregulated arrangements. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SummaryIntroduction1Definitions of ethnic groups and demographics of minority ethnic groups in the UK○ 1.1 Definitions of 'ethnic groups' and 'ethnicity'○ 1.2 Demographics and characteristics of minority ethnic groups in the UK– Countries of origin– Age/sex distribution and life expectancy– Geographical distribution and size of household– Religious beliefs– Education and employment patternsKey points2Overview of the health profile and dietary habits of minority ethnic groups in the UK○ 2.1 Available surveys○ 2.2 Overview of the health profiles among adults from minority ethnic groups– Overall health– Cardiovascular disease (CVD)– Coronary heart disease (CHD)– Stroke– Type 2 diabetes– Obesity○ 2.3 Possible causes of increased disease risk among minority ethnic groups○ 2.4 Smoking, drinking and physical activity habits○ 2.5 Dietary habits and nutritional status○ 2.6 Overview of the health profiles and dietary and health behaviour patterns of children from minority ethnic groups– Overall health– Diet and health behaviour patterns○ 2.7 Gaps in data availabilityKey points3Factors affecting food choice– Income and socio‐economic status– Food availability and access– Awareness of healthy eating– Religious beliefs– Food beliefs– Time and cooking skills– Generation and genderKey points4Traditional diets of minority ethnic groups○ 4.1 Overview of traditional diets of minority ethic groups– South Asians– African‐Caribbeans– Chinese○ 4.2 Dietary acculturation○ 4.3 Nutritional composition of ethnic‐style cuisineKey points5Nutritional interventions and health promotion among minority ethnic groups○ 5.1 Effective nutritional interventions○ 5.2 Health promotion interventions to prevent problems associated with fasting○ 5.3 Priorities for nutritional interventions and health promotion○ 5.4 Using behaviour change models○ 5.5 Current community initiatives○ 5.6 Catering for institutionalised individuals○ 5.7 Recommendations for future research, policy and practiceKey points6Conclusion• Acknowledgements• References Summary: According to the latest census, non‐white minority ethnic groups made up 7.9% of the UK's population in 2001. The largest of these groups were South Asians, Black African‐Caribbeans and Chinese. Studies have shown that some minority ethnic groups are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes compared with the mainstream population. These include higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes and obesity. The differences in health outcomes may reflect interactions between diet and other health behaviours, genetic predisposition and developmental programming, all of which vary across different groups. As is the case for the rest of the population, the dietary habits of minority ethnic groups are affected by a wide variety of factors, but acquiring a better understanding of these can help health professionals and educationalists to recognise the needs of these groups and help them to make healthier food choices. Unfortunately, to date, there have been few tailored, well‐designed and evaluated nutritional interventions in the UK targeting minority ethnic population groups. Further needs assessment and better evaluation of nutritional interventions have been recommended to enhance the understanding of the effectiveness of different approaches amongst minority ethnic groups. This briefing paper will provide an overview of the health profile, dietary habits and other health behaviours of the three largest non‐white minority ethnic groups in the UK, explore the factors affecting their food choices, provide a summary of their traditional diets and review the evidence base to identify the factors that support successful nutrition interventions in these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The small minority of Scots who entered the house of commons in 1707 were slow to make their mark. Besides lack of numbers, they suffered several significant disadvantages. The Westminster scene was strange, and the style and tone of debate more vigorous and informal. Moreover, the aristocracy had dominated the unicameral Scottish parliament, and commoners found it difficult to emancipate themselves from noble tutelage. Most importantly, Scottish politics did not yet reflect the two-party system dominant in England. Thus in the first sessions the Scots were unable to make headway in the essential business of parliament, legislation. Scotland suffered in comparison with the English provinces, and even the Irish, who were able to muster a more effective lobby. Soon, however, a new generation of debaters appeared, able to use their wit to discomfit English antagonists, and a new class of 'men of business' who grasped the rules of the legislative game. The fortuitous deaths of leading magnates and the polarisation of sectarian antagonisms in Scotland permitted the coalescence of the Scottish representation into two broad factions allied with the English parties. It was with English tory support that bills were passed to benefit the sectional concerns of Scottish episcopalians, accompanied by other measures of a more general nature. The combined attempt by Scottish peers and MPs in 1713 to secure the repeal of the union does not point to a lasting breakdown in Anglo-Scottish relations, since it was also a manifestation of political opportunism by English whigs and discontented tories, and their Scottish allies. But the dawn of a party system in Scotland was dispelled by the death of Queen Anne and the ensuing jacobite rebellion. The complicity of tories in the Fifteen resulted in the destruction of the party in Scotland, and the construction of a whig hegemony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1794, when the British volunteer movement began in earnest, to 1802, when the French Revolutionary Wars came to an end, the established clergy preached numerous sermons to volunteer military units throughout England and in parts of Scotland. These sermons sought to articulate a sense of Britishness in such a way as to command more or less universal assent, meaning assent both to the ongoing war effort and to the national enterprise more broadly considered. Volunteers across the country were taught to see Great Britain as a nation chosen by God to stand alone against the onslaught of French principles, and they were encouraged to derive a sense of purpose and meaning from their local contributions to the national struggle. The volunteer sermons bridged the gap between local attachments and national commitments, and in so doing they played a significant role in the formation of a national consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Mortality and drug treatment data suggest that the median age of people who inject drugs is increasing. We aimed to describe changes in the characteristics of people injecting drugs in the United Kingdom (UK). Design: Repeat cross‐sectional surveys and modelling. Setting: Low‐threshold services in the United Kingdom such as needle and syringe programmes. Participants: A total of 79 900 people who recently injected psychoactive drugs in the United Kingdom, recruited as part of the Unlinked Anonymous Monitoring Survey (England, Wales, Northern Ireland, 1990–2019) and Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative (Scotland, 2008–2019). Measurements Age of people currently injecting, age at first injection, duration of injecting (each 1990–2019) and estimates of new people who started injecting (1980–2019). Findings In England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 1990 and 2019, the median age of people injecting increased from 27 (interquartile range [IQR], 24–31) to 40 (IQR, 34–46); median age at first injection increased from 22 (IQR, 19–25) to 33 (IQR, 28–39); and median years of injecting increased from 7 (IQR, 3–11) to 18 (IQR, 9–23). Values in Scotland and England were similar after 2008. The estimated number that started injecting annually in England increased from 5470 (95% prediction interval [PrI] 3120‐6940) in 1980 to a peak of 10 270 (95% PrI, 8980‐12 780) in 1998, and then decreased to 2420 (95% PrI, 1320‐5580) in 2019. The number in Scotland followed a similar pattern, increasing from 1220 (95% PrI, 740–2430) in 1980 to a peak of 3080 (95% PrI, 2160–3350) in 1998, then decreased to a 270 (95% PrI, 130–600) in 2018. The timing of the peak differed between regions, with earlier peaks in London and the North West of England. Conclusions: In the United Kingdom, large cohorts started injecting psychoactive drugs in the 1980s and 1990s and many still inject today. Relatively few people started in more recent years. This has led to changes in the population injecting drugs, including an older average age and longer injecting histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: What does the publicly available literature tell us about the attitudes of health care staff to the development of information technology in practice, including the factors which influence them and the factors which may be used to change these attitudes? Methods: Twelve databases were searched for literature published between 2000 and 2005 that identified research related to information technology (IT), health professionals and attitude. English language studies were included which described primary research relating to the attitudes of one or more health care staff groups towards IT. Letters, personal viewpoints, reflections and opinion pieces were not included. Results: Complex factors contribute to the formation of attitudes towards IT. Many of the issues identified were around the flexibility of the systems and whether they were ‘fit for purpose’, along with the confidence and experience of the IT users. The literature suggests that attitudes of practitioners are a significant factor in the acceptance and efficiency of use of IT in practice. The literature also suggested that education and training was a factor for encouraging the use of IT systems. Conclusions: A range of key issues, such as the need for flexibility and usability, appropriate education and training and the need for the software to be ‘fit for purpose’, showed that organizations need to plan carefully when proposing the introduction of IT-based systems into work practices. The studies reviewed did suggest that attitudes of health care professionals can be a significant factor in the acceptance and efficiency of use of IT in practice. Further qualitative and quantitative research is needed into the approaches that have most effect on the attitudes of health care staff towards IT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news briefs related to politics and education in Great Britain. The Scottish Government's national development and improvement agency for education, Education Scotland, has been established. The Government discussion document on initial teacher training (ITT), Training our next generation of outstanding teachers, has been launched. A joint SNAP Cymru and Barnardo's Cymru study on illegal exclusions has been published.

Abstract: Background and aim: The introduction of the Alcohol Act in Scotland on 1 October 2011, which included a ban on multi‐buy promotions, was probably associated with a fall in off‐trade alcohol sales in the year after its implementation. The aim of this study was to test if the same legislation was associated with reduced levels of alcohol‐related deaths and hospital admissions in the 3‐year period after its introduction. Design: A natural experiment design using time–series data to assess the impact of the Alcohol Act legislation in Scotland. Comparisons were made with unexposed populations in the rest of Great Britain. Setting: Scotland with comparable data obtained for geographical control groups in other parts of Great Britain. Participants: For alcohol‐related deaths, a total of 17 732 in Scotland and 88 001 in England and Wales throughout 169 4‐week periods between January 2001 and December 2013 and for alcohol‐related hospital admissions, a total of 121 314 in Scotland and 696 892 in England throughout 182 4‐week periods between January 2001 and December 2014. Measurements: Deaths and hospital admissions in Scotland and control groups that were wholly attributable to alcohol for consecutive 4‐week periods between January 2001 and December 2014. Data were obtained by age, sex and area‐based socio‐economic position. Findings: There was no evidence to suggest that the Alcohol Act was associated with changes in the overall rate of alcohol‐related deaths [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.91–1.07)] or hospital admissions (IRR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95–1.02) in Scotland. In control group analyses, the pseudo intervention variable was not associated with a change in alcohol‐related death rates in England/Wales (IRR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.95–1.02), but was associated with an increase in alcohol‐related hospital admission rates in England (IRR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.03–1.07). In combined models, the interaction analysis did not provide support for a ‘net effect’ of the legislation on alcohol‐related deaths in Scotland compared with England/Wales (IRR 0.99, 95% CI = 0.95–1.04), but suggested a net reduction in hospital admissions for Scotland compared with England (IRR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.87–0.98). Conclusion: The implementation of the Alcohol Act in Scotland has not been associated clearly with a reduction in alcohol‐related deaths or hospital admissions in the 3‐year period after it was implemented in October 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate the relationships between age at diagnosis of diabetes, age at diabetic eye screening and severity of diabetic retinopathy at first and subsequent screenings in children aged 12 or 13 years. Methods Data were extracted from four English screening programmes and from the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish programmes on all children with diabetes invited for their first and subsequent screening episodes from the age of 12 years. Retinopathy levels at first and subsequent screens, time from diagnosis of diabetes to first screening and age at diagnosis in years were calculated. Results Data were available for 2125 children with diabetes screened for the first time at age 12 or 13 years. In those diagnosed with diabetes at 2 years of age or less, the proportion with retinopathy in one or both eyes was 20% and 11%, respectively, decreasing to 8% and 2% in those diagnosed between 2 and 12 years ( P < 0.0001). Only three children (aged 8, 10 and 11 years at diagnosis of diabetes) had images graded with referable retinopathy and, of these, two had non-referable diabetic retinopathy at all subsequent screenings. Of 1703 children with subsequent images, 25 were graded with referable diabetic retinopathy over a mean follow-up of 3.1 years, an incidence rate of 4.7 (95% confidence interval, 3.1-7.0) per 1000 per year. Conclusions In this large cohort of children, the low prevalence and incidence rates of referable diabetic retinopathy suggest that screening earlier than age 12 is not necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK accounting for 25% of all new cases of cancer. It is predicted to become the most common cancer overall by 2030. A national survey of the specialist nursing workforce caring for men with prostate cancer was completed across the four countries of the UK during June and July 2014. In total 302 specialist nurses completed the survey and data from 285 was used in the analysis. This is the biggest whole population survey of this workforce in recent years. The most common job title was clinical nurse specialist (185) and the most common band was agenda for change band 7 (174). However in Scotland 50% of the respondents stated that they were paid on band 6. Over half the group (158) had worked in prostate cancer care for more than 10 years. Few (48) had come into specialist posts from a specific specialist nurse development role. There is wide geographic variation in the provision of specialist nursing for men with prostate cancer. This is reflected in available hours and caseload sizes. The respondents reported frozen and vacant posts across the UK. This equated to 58·3 full time equivalents. The work of specialist nurses caring for men with prostate cancer is clinically complex and appears to cover most key times in the cancer journey. However workload appears to be limiting the care that the nurses are able to provide with over half the respondents (163) saying that they left work undone for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the important role played by higher education in broader skills and economic development policies in England and Scotland. It places the often divergent policy experiments and structural developments in these two countries' higher education systems within an international policy context and explains why England and Scotland are often tackling common problems and challenges in different ways. Scotland's retention of a centralised funding system for higher education, its enthusiasm for a closer integration of higher education with other forms of skills creation and its emphasis on skills utilisation are all leading to greater divergence from England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents news briefs related to education in Great Britain as of March 2014. The Welsh government has released plans to develop a cohesive approach to legislation regarding special education and remove the remaining special education needs measures from the Education Bill. Guidance for education authorities and schools on accessibility duties outlined by the Scottish Education Act 2002 were published. England's Children and Families Bill is expected to complete Parliament by the spring of 2014.

Observational studies show an inverse relationship between fat and sugar within diets, described as the 'fat-sugar seesaw'. It has been suggested however, that this is a consequence of expressing macronutrient intakes as percentages of energy intake rather than by the dietary choices made by individuals. To test this we examined the associations between macronutrient intakes in the diets of adults ( n = 1724) participating in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) and within the same adults across different days of the week. Pearson's correlations were calculated between the macronutrient intakes from fat, total sugar, intrinsic sugars, non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES), non-sugar carbohydrate, protein and alcohol. Energy intakes relative to estimated basal metabolic rate (BMR) were calculated to partially account for differences in energy requirements. Pearson's correlations also examined associations between the same macronutrients in foods from the Nutrient Databank (ND), used to analyse dietary intakes in the NDNS. Correlations between fat and sugar(s) were calculated in five ways: (i) percentage energy between individuals; (ii) amount (g) between individuals; (iii) amount (g) relative to BMR between individuals; (iv) within individuals over seven days; and (v) between food items in the ND. Negative correlations were obtained between mean daily percentage energy intakes of fat and, total sugars, NMES and intrinsic sugars (all P < 0.001). However, when mean daily macronutrient intakes were expressed in weight (g)/day, these were all positively correlated (all P < 0.001). Mean estimated correlations between macronutrient intakes (g/day) for each individual across the days of the week were also positive, indicating a lack of fat-sugar seesaw effect. Within the ND, the correlation between fat and total sugar (g/100g of food) was weakly positive ( P = 0.006). Only when examining the correlation between fat and sugar(s) between individuals in percentage terms (% energy) was the fat-sugar seesaw evident; in all other methods the correlations between fat and sugar(s) were positive. Examination of the effects of using percentage energy values to describe the macronutrient composition demonstrated that the fat-sugar seesaw is only an inevitable mathematical consequence, rather than the result of dietary choice. Comparing diet composition in percentage terms alone can therefore be misleading. It is only when examined as absolute values (weight), as well as percentage contributions to energy, that the interrelationships between macronutrients can be studied fully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dickens J. The definition of social work in the United Kingdom, 2000-2010. This article reviews the approaches that the four countries of the United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - have taken in recent years for organising, regulating and defining social work. Social work is one of the policy areas that have been devolved to the constituent countries. This has brought extensive organisational changes, multiple policy initiatives and a proliferation of regulatory and advisory agencies. The article focuses on the attempts by these official bodies to define social work, treating the United Kingdom as a case study of the tensions of specifying what social work is and what it should be. The various attempts expose the strains and overlaps between the different agencies, and a bigger struggle to contain and control social work. The article highlights four key dimensions in the enduring debates: values-roles, social-individual, care-control and public-professional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses importance of good nutrition in children. It highlights the nutrition needed by children and adolescents which are high in relation to their size due to their demands for growth. It also explores the results of the National Diet and Nutrition Surveys (NDNS) wherein data on the eating patterns of people living in private households in Great Britain is provided.

Overweight and obese people appear to be at greater risk of suboptimal vitamin and mineral status compared with people of a healthy weight. Nutrients most affected include vitamin D, vitamin B, carotenoids, folate, vitamin C and iron. The reasons are unknown but may be caused by poor diets, increased requirements or obesity-related changes to nutrient absorption, excretion or metabolism, or a combination of these. Sequestration of fat-soluble vitamins by adipose tissues is also a major factor. Although dietary assessment in obese populations is hampered by under-reporting, there is evidence that dietary patterns characterised by energy-dense, processed foods are more common in groups with a higher body mass index. Dieting practices, bariatric surgery and the use of anti-obesity drugs may compound the risk of nutrient inadequacy, although sustained weight loss helps to improve vitamin D status. A poor nutrient status could accentuate the risk of chronic diseases already experienced by overweight people on account of their excessive fat mass. There is evidence that the use of dietary supplements can improve nutrient status and have a favourable impact on disease risk markers such as lipid profiles and insulin resistance. Whether currently dieting or not, overweight people may benefit from safeguarding vitamin and mineral adequacy by taking a multi-nutrient supplement alongside an increased intake of nutrient-rich foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several topics discussed at the meeting of European Nutrition Foundations in Madrid on April 2010 is presented. Topics of the meeting include the nutrition in the school curriculum and regulations on foods and drinks provided in schools. The meeting features various executives including Juan Ballasteros.

The article discusses the politics and policies of the British National Health System (NHS) as of September 2008. It examines the policymaking decisions of the governments of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It discusses changes in government-run health systems and health care options in welfare states. The article examines the policies and proposals of British political parties including the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP). It discusses the creation of Foundation Trusts (FTs) through the NHS.

This article compares the ways in which references to ‘the (British) Empire’ were constructed and used in interview accounts of national identity and domestic politics in Scotland and in England. In Scotland, spontaneous accounts of Empire were typically formulated in conjunction with nationalist moral meta-narratives. Respondents variously inferred heroic national character from Scotland's role in Empire, or cast Scottish history as an enduring struggle between progressive forces of nationalism and atavistic forces of Anglo-British colonialism. The construct of Britishness was often seen to derive from, and to be synonymous with, the history of Empire. In England, the Empire story tended to be framed within anti-nationalist meta-narratives. Imperialism was generally understood to represent a product of excessive nationalism, and tales of Empire were used to draw exemplary moral lessons concerning the deficiencies of Anglo-British national character and of the catastrophic consequences of the pursuit of national self-interest more generally. The existence of Britain, and the construct of Britishness, were generally understood to both predate and postdate the history of Empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from a survey of 4591 16-19-year-olds from four parts of Britain demonstrate that a North-South divide is manifested both economically and politically. Southerners are materially better off and more supportive of the Conservative party. Adopting asocial identity analysis of sectional effects, we hypothesized that party political support is a manifestation of identification with locality, and also that political support, rather than perceived deprivation, would be associated with intentions to stay in or move out of one's locality. Results revealed that Labour supporters in the north of England, and Conservative supporters in the south were most committed to their locality. In Scotland, where nationalism is more directly linked to political parties, those who supported the Scottish Nationalist Party or Labour Party identified more strongly with Scotland and had less intention to leave, but also perceived their situation as more disadvantaged than did Conservatives. These findings are interpreted as supporting a social identity approach to political support and geographical occupational mobility. We suggested that despite the apparent irrationality of self-denying perceptions and choices, these may also serve self-preserving functions in the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]