On Monday, 4th November, the Sylvans debated the motion:
This House believes it is vital that the UK continues to consist of all its four nations.
It was proposed by Ewan McGaughey and opposed by Richard Whaley.
The proposer opened with a strong defence of the union, making the case for a ‘United’ Kingdom. He defined the core elements holding the nations together and brought out the threats raised by Brexit and the nationalist movement in Scotland. He then went on to outline the wide range of contributions of people from across the four nations to the UK as a whole, and collective efforts to create key national institutions such as the NHS. A breakup of the UK would cause economic loss of billions of pounds. He argued that international solidarity and cooperation against key challenges such as climate change means that the UK as a whole would provide the best response, but that strong devolution of power to the regions of the country would balance the needs of the four nations and sustain the union.
The opposer focused on the definition of the word ‘vital’ in the motion, arguing that if Scotland and Northern Ireland wish to go, then that would be acceptable and feasible for the rest of the country. He outlined the history of the different peoples of the UK, covering the many migrations and invasions that led to the nations as they are today. He also posited that the country is poorly governed at present, without a well-functioning parliament, indicating that a shake up of the present arrangements would lead to a smaller, more effective government. He suggested that it would not be right to force Scotland to stay in the UK against their will.
Floor speeches ranged from passionate defences of the common history and shared experience of the people of the UK to highly dispassionate views that Scotland and Northern Ireland should go immediately. A number of speakers attempted to define the word ‘vital’ in the context of the debate. Another thread was whether smaller countries or larger ones are more effective at governing for their people and what weight they carry in a globalised world.
In a close final vote the motion carried.
