Why Scotland may have avoided far-right unrest

For more than a week, far-right violence has been erupting in cities across England and Northern Ireland – but not yet in Scotland.

This raises the question: are we immune north of the border?

The violence erupted after three girls were murdered in Southport, Merseyside, after online posts falsely suggested the attacker was Muslim and an asylum seeker.

Mosques have been targeted, police officers injured and businesses set alight – including hotels known to house asylum seekers.

Historian Murray Pittock is wary of the term “Scottish exceptionalism”. It is used to describe a particular attitude, a sense of moral superiority, that things are different here, that opinions and attitudes are much more liberal and forward-thinking.

But he says attitudes towards immigration in Scotland are more favourable.

“I think there is a balance here. It’s not just saying Scotland is exceptional and it’s never going to do this kind of thing. It’s also not just saying, ‘Well, it’s exactly the same as the rest of the UK.’ It’s clearly not.

“There has been no large-scale speech condemning immigration.

“There has been a pro-immigrant narrative and that is increasingly being borne out in the social attitudes survey in Scotland, which is more pro-immigrant. It is now more pro-immigrant than south of the border.”

Scotland is not the only part of the UK to avoid the Troubles: Wales has also managed to avoid the ugliest scenes seen since the tragic events in Southport.

Much of the unrest has been sparked – and even organized – through social media, fueled by negative and often racist sentiments toward immigration.

The first rally in Southport was reported on anti-immigration channels on the messaging app Telegram. Police said the violence was believed to have involved supporters of the now-disbanded far-right group, the English Defence League (EDL).

EDL founder, convicted criminal Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), has also posted about “pro-UK” rallies taking place in cities including Glasgow next month, claiming that “the British are rising up”.

But in Scotland, as in Wales, rumors of far-right protests have yet to materialize. When hundreds of people gathered for an anti-racism rally in Glasgow on Saturday, only two counter-protesters showed up.

Journalist Lizzie Dearden, who reports on home affairs and is an expert on the far right in the UK, says Southport is not the first incident that has been used to fuel far-right agendas.

Rather, she said, it is part of a long-standing trend in which there has been a “frenzy of activity” following terrorist attacks among the far right, which seeks to “portray various minority groups as a threat.”

In Scotland, however, she says, the far right needs to work harder to convince people of this.

“I think there are still people active in these networks in Scotland and they are likely to try to capitalise on this terrible attack in Southport as they did in England,” she said.

“Polls and other measures show that Scotland has a more positive attitude towards immigration, less concern about things like small boats – which are naturally more strongly felt geographically on the south coast of England – and a more positive attitude towards refugees.”

As for the events planned in Scotland, Ms Dearden says there is still a possibility that there will be some form of protest – but it would be “quite limited”.

Professor Sir John Curtice, who closely monitors the barometer of public attitudes, agrees, but says the idea of ​​Scotland as a “completely welcoming nation” is “too rosy a picture”.

Although Scots are less likely to be concerned about immigration, he says a key problem is that campaigns that focus on “Britishness” do not resonate as much in Scotland.

“For many people, their primary identity is their Scottish identity,” he says.

Sir John says population also plays a role, with the proportion of people identifying as Muslim in Scotland being much lower than in England.

The latest Scottish census shows that 7% of the population are from an ethnic minority background, compared to 18% in the UK.

Sir John also said the ruling party’s message in Scotland was very different. The SNP is described as a “civic nationalist party”, which says it welcomes people regardless of birth or ancestry, as long as they are prepared to commit to Scotland.

He adds: “It is also true that attitudes to immigration, particularly among politicians, are also different because Scotland is facing a demographic time bomb that is particularly difficult to manage. There are more politicians who are likely to argue that Scotland needs immigration.”

Of course, this comes at a time when former Prime Minister Humza Yousaf publicly questioned whether he envisaged a life for himself and his family in Scotland or the West, following the riots.

Unsurprisingly, the police are avoiding being too specific about why nothing has happened so far in Scotland.

Deputy Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said it was difficult to pinpoint any particular reason why the unrest had not spread to Scotland.

“I think we’ve done a very strong community engagement over the past months and years and we’ve built very strong relationships with all of our communities,” he said.

“We are not complacent, we do not believe we are safe, which is why we are keeping a close eye and ensuring that our communities remain peaceful in the days ahead.”

Even in recent years Glasgow has seen its share of unrest.

In June 2020, Violence erupts in George Square after supporters of the National Defense League gathered to “protect the Cenotaph.” The action came as large protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement took place.

The following year, a demonstration of a completely different kind took place on Kenmure Street in the south of the city. Local residents blocked deportation of two Indian immigrants.

It paints a picture of divided politics in Glasgow.

According to Professor Pittock, the biggest outbreaks of civil unrest in his lifetime in Scotland were associated with the long-standing rivalry between Celtic and Rangers.

He says there is a “legacy fault line” between Irish immigration, Irish Catholicism and Scottish Protestantism on the west coast, dating back to the 19th century.

“In various forms, it has actually created more public disorder than any other problem,” he said.

“The fault lines are different and where they are different you probably shouldn’t expect the same kinds of behavior in the same way.”

There is another key and very Scottish difference that Professor Pittock notes: “While not entirely trivial, in Scotland the climate is worse and the scope for public unrest is less.”

First Minister John Swinney said Scotland would remain vigilant after a meeting with Police Scotland and party leaders.

But the temperature in the UK has probably changed over the week.

The swift action of police and courts south of the border has led to more than 700 arrests and more than 300 charges. Some have already been sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

A man charged in connection with attacks on a Holiday Inn Express near Rotherham which was housing asylum seekers has been charged. began to cry as he was led out of court.

Thousands of people took to the streets for peaceful rallies in cities and towns across England on Wednesday night, with Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley calling it a “very successful” evening and saying fears of far-right unrest had “allayed”.

Riot police remain on alert this weekend – but with peaceful anti-racism protests currently outnumbering incidents of disorder, police commanders are hoping the situation will remain peaceful.