Can Scottish and Welsh Nationalists Also Be Global Citizens?

On May 5, voters in Scotland and Wales will be going to the polls to vote for representatives to the devolved assembles, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. These elections are distinct from the general elections to the House of Commons, and usually represent the biggest electoral opportunities for the nationalist parties in both countries: the Scottish National Party (SNP) in Scotland and Plaid Cymru in Wales.

The SNP and Plaid have a lot in common. They both favor the independence of their respective nations from the United Kingdom, while also working within the present British political system to further their generally left-leaning policies. Both are heavily represented in their devolved assemblies (indeed, the SNP is currently the largest party in the Scottish Parliament) and also have representatives in the House of Commons and the European Parliament.

An interesting question is whether or not these Scottish and Welsh nationalists can simultaneously be Global Citizens, who generally see themselves as citizens of the world first and citizens of individual nations second. Since they want to break up the United Kingdom and reassert the independence of Scotland and Wales, is it possible for members of the SNP and Plaid Cymru to also be Global Citizens?

The answer is not only yes, but it is a resounding yes. In fact, members of the SNP and Plaid Cymru often are Global Citizens par excellence. Internationalism is at the center of the policy platforms of both parties, which desire for their nations to be full participants in the United Nations and European Union. And their strong advocacy of environmentalism, their belief in nuclear disarmament, their opposition to war, and their general promotion of egalitarianism and democracy around the world place them firmly in the Global Citizen camp.

While Global Citizens indeed seek a world which sees itself as a single entity, they also believe firmly in the need to protect local and national cultural identities. This means protecting and promoting revitalizing traditional languages like Gaelic and Welsh, as well as working to preserve the unique cultural traditions of the various peoples of the world. The existence of political groups like the SNP and Plaid Cymru are a priceless asset in this struggle.

There are separatist organizations all over the world. Many, such as Bloc Québécois in Canada, are similar to the SNP and Plaid Cymru in that are legal political parties, operating within existing democratic systems and accepting the concept of popular sovereignty. Unfortunately there are other separatist groups, such as the Basque terrorist group known as the ETA, turn to extremism in misguided efforts to advance their aims through undemocratic and violent means. The former can be Global Citizens, while the latter cannot.




Global Citizens do not want to abolish nations, and not just because the World Cup would be much less interesting without them. Instead, we seek a global framework in which all the nations of the world pool their resources and work together to address common problems. After all, global problems can only have global solutions. Global Citizens can be strong national patriots, as the members of the SNP and Plaid Cymru clearly are, but they also hold to the developing global perspective which recognizes that we are all members of the same human family and we shall rise or fall together.