Historian David Olusoga believes that the United Kingdom is becoming increasingly divided. This is not just evidenced by the UK’s borders, but within each of its four nations. Olusoga notes that London, in particular, has become increasingly dominant. In the 1970s, the UK was an equal society, however, it is far from that today. Olusoga believes that London’s ascendency highlights how divisions within the UK run even deeper than its borders.
Olusoga is currently presenting a new BBC Two series about the history of the UK. He grew up during the de-industrialisation of north-east England in the 1980s, at a time when widespread job losses hit the region hard. Today, more than half a century later, it is clear, according to Olusoga, that it is not possible to “rely on industry spreading wealth and opportunity around the four nations.”
For Olusoga, the question now is how to address the UK’s divisions and renew its bonds. Governing powers were devolved to national parliaments in the 1990s, with the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Parliament or Senedd Cymru, and Northern Ireland Assembly established. The independence referendum in Scotland in 2014 proved to be a particularly fractious moment in the UK union’s recent history.
The final outcome remains uncertain; Olusoga is careful not to predict the end of the UK, but the historian believes that we are living through a period of significant change. Olusoga’s Union series is available on BBC Two or via BBC iPlayer
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