By Professor John Robertson
I’ll start with the numbers. In BBC Scotland, Andrew Kerr’s grudging/riot-hopeful – Why Scotland may have avoided far-right unrest, today:
Sir John says population plays a part too, with the proportion of people identifying as Muslim in Scotland much smaller than in England. The latest Scottish census shows 7% of the population is from an ethnic minority, compared to 18% overall in the UK.
That would only make sense if the ethnic minority/Muslim population was spread evenly across Scotland and rest of the UK. It’s not. Ethnic minorities have clustered for decades in urban areas of cheaper housing, so that there are parts of Glasgow which are around 90% ethnic minority yet there have been no riots and there is no sign of riots by the often equally poor cheek-by-jowl white communities.
Why is that?
It’s complex, maybe too complex for some.
One important reason is the almost complete lack of presence of the racist far-right, blaming minorities for majority problems, in Scotland’s present and past. There is a contrasting history of the racially inclusive far-left, blaming the rich for everyone’s problems.
Another important reason is that, and you’d think a prof might have thought of this, all Muslims are not the same. There are greater differences between some Muslims, because of their different cultural backgrounds and histories, than between some of them and their white neighbours.
Here is a referenced list of some of these significant differences:
First, white groups will be understandably repulsed and made hostile by patterns of Honour Based Violence, Forced Marriage and FGM, which are more common among some migrant groups, typically rural, uneducated, highly conservative, sexist, racist, mountain cultures, some ‘Christian’.
https://www.scotland.police.uk/assets/pdf/434027/526774/526824/19-2024-response?view=Standard
A Freedom of Information request to police Scotland revealed the above. If such crimes were occurring with similar frequency across the UK, as they are in Scotland, then the figures for the UK would be around 12 times greater They are not.
There were nearly 2 000 UK cases of FGM in just the first three months of 2019 suggesting a shocking 8 000 per year 286 times as many or 24 times as many per capita as in Scotland.
There were 1 764 UK cases of Forced marriage in 2018 suggesting a rate 33 times higher or 3 times higher per capita than in Scotland.
Click to access Forced_Marriage_Unit_Statistics_2018_FINAL.pdf
There were 152 cases of Honour Based Violence in Scotland in 2018 but across the UK, for 2017 (most recent figures), there were more than 4 000 cases (estimate) giving a rate 26 times higher or 2 times as high per capita.
https://unherd.com/2019/01/britains-honour-crime-shame/
Second, see this extract from a Scottish Government research survey in 2011
‘In addition, Hussain and Miller (2004) argue that Muslims in Scotland are more likely to identify themselves as Scottish than Muslims in England are to identify as English (Hussain and Miller 2004, 2006). In their study, comparing experiences of Islamophobia and Anglophobia in Scotland, Hussain and Miller established that the Muslims interviewed found it very easy to identify with Scotland. They suggest this could be explained partly because their religious identity is seen as cultural and not territorial. This finding is supported by research conducted by Masud (2005) into the experiences of Muslims across Britain after the London bombings in 2005. In this research conducted across Scotland 27“it was widely acknowledged and appreciated that compared with other parts of the country, especially England, Scotland was a tolerant place” (Masud 2005).’
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/03/08091838/4
Third, remember the Glasgow Celtic, Green Brigade protest against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and the crowdfunding which raised thousands to pay for sporting facilities in Palestine? People in the Arab world and Islamic people in Scotland know about this.
Fourth, 100 000 people marched in Glasgow in 2003 against the Iraq war. Glasgow’s Islamic population saw this. The Herald newspaper exposed many of the atrocities committed by the Coalition there.
Fifth, 1.8% of the prison population in Scotland is Muslim. This is broadly in proportion to the 1.45% of Scottish population which is Muslim, and in significant contrast to the very large figure of 13% for Muslim prisoners in England and Wales.
Sixth, notably, although Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are still over-represented in more deprived areas of Scotland, they are less likely to be living in such areas in Scotland than they are in England.
Seventh, Muslims in Scotland are fast becoming a highly-educated population – currently exceeding the total population figure for ‘degree level and above’ education by 10 percentage points.
Eighth, almost 1 in 3 (31%) of the Muslim population is ‘economically active’ full-time – whether as an employee, or self-employed. For the population as-a-whole, the figure is 51%. It is notable that both of these percentages are higher than the corresponding figures for England and Wales which are 19.8% for Muslims and 34.9% for the overall population
Ninth, comparisons with the Muslim population in England and Wales suggest that Muslims in Scotland are somewhat socio-economically better off.
Click to access scottish_muslims_in_numbers_web.pdf
Tenth, ‘there are no radical preachers in Scottish mosques who are urging Muslims to commit violence abroad or at home.’
Eleventh, in 2017, Transport Minister Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, first took his oath of allegiance in English and then in Urdu in the Scottish Parliament. Not something you can imagine in France.
Finally, see this:
‘Good community relations mean young Muslims in Scotland eschew extremism Unlike in England, there is mutual respect between the Scottish government, the Muslim communities and the police’
I’ve been compared unfavourably to Sir Prof Curtice before!
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Thank you for bringing together the research and the complexity of reasons for Scotland’s remaining free of far-right rioting. On Saturday in Glasgow’s George Square, at the protest against the far-right, when two chaps turned up, with placard, shouting about the illegal influx of migrants, it was the photographers who headed toward them first, followed by the police, and then a spill of protesters. The police herded the two chaps to a far corner of the square where protesters used noisy chant to drown out the right-wing rhetoric. A steward explained that it was just, ‘that guy who’s a holocaust denier, who was a BNP member,’ as if this was Scotland’s token right-wing chappie, an old bit of the political furniture destined to be moved into the corner every time he showed up. Meanwhile in Glasgow there was the protest about the Palestinian plight outside Buchanan Galleries and, quoting Glasgow Times, ‘Friends of Irish Republican Prisoner Welfare Association group paraded from the East End, through the city centre and onwards to Barrowland Park, at Moir Street today’ (August 10).
Glasgow was too busy with important matters to bother with pish going on in England.
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Excellent and very revealing article John. Thank you.
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The reason these are no violent riots and protests in Scotland is because of Devolution. Scotland has better governance. A more equal, prosperous, fair cohesive society. The Scottish Gov does its best to mitigate Westminster cuts and lack of resources. Westminster total waste and a waste of time. Totally out of touch and uncaring. Westminster targets the young, the old, the sick and the vulnerable. The Scottish Gov tries to help people and aid the most vulnerable.
Independence would be even better away from Westminster wasteful, uncaring policies. Westminster incompetent and waste making life harder for people. An absolute disgrace. Ending in violent riots and protests on the streets.
Pollsters have been censored and fined many times. They alway get it wrong. Illegally breaking data Laws. They waste private and public monies becoming millionaires. Funded by Hedge Funds to make unwarranted profits gambling on the results. Illegally buying and selling people’s data. To target voters illegally. Breaking data protection Law with no consent, and selling people’s private details and preferences. Breaking Data protection Laws and gerrymandering, trying to influence the result.
Farague has been selling people details to Facebook for two years. Illegally gaining people’s personal details who access the website. Then targeting voters through Facebook. Breaking data protection Laws. Totally illegal and gerrymandering. Behaviour that can demand a prison sentence. Especially after provoking violent riots and protests.
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Many thanks for the kind comments. Keep sharing.
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It looks like a very rush job by Sir John Curtice to suit an desired outcome I am sure he was rewarded for this piece.
However, its still a C- whatever way you look at it.
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Thanks for this article. It’s very illuminating. I was aware of some of the reasons, having seen discussions elsewhere, such as the prison population figures and the Green Brigade and, of course, demos against the Iraq war.
There’s too much written and talked about our non-rioting by what you refer to as “riot-hopefuls”. That’s a very good description for people who feed off trouble. They should be concentrating their efforts on England for the reasons why and on the solutions rather than on a non-story in Scotland.
Why is Curtice being asked about the reasons for the non-riots in Scotland anyway. He’s a psephologist not a social scientist.
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I’m the poster at 3.01pm.
I don’t like to post as Anonymous but I pressed the Comment button and forgot to sign into WordPress.
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the bbc was gutted there were no riots.
i am surprised the usual unionists seen at auob marches did not join in
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The bit I loved in bbc report was …….”There’s one other key and very Scottish difference that Prof Pittock notes: “Without being absolutely banal, in Scotland the weather is worse and there is less opportunity for public unrest.”….. Or in other words if it’s raining am no gonnae riot today let’s wait till it’s a bit sunnier…….I have never read so much pishocity as the bbc prints and I agree….why the constant narrative of why Scotland hasn’t seen any riots…..they really are trying their hardest to push for it!!!
JB
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Pittocks a wa…r, rain or shine the Yes movement marches. I remember the one to Glasgow green, they were dancing in the puddles, umbrellas had sold out and my wife had to go and buy a towel to dry her hair. Hot scotch pie on way home mmm yummy.
Golfnut.
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ps,
nobody hurt, no shops looted during or after the march.
Golfnut.
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OT, but, people huv tae know.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13722747/I-wish-never-moved-Furious-Isle-Wight-locals-held-ransom-ferry-companies-say-wait-charged-440-return-ticket-mainland.html
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Thanks
https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2024/08/11/english-islanders-shocked-to-find-snp-government-subsidised-and-even-longer-ferry-crossing-costs-a-fraction-one-seventh-of-their-regular-to-the-isle-of-wight-thousands-plan-to-move/
John
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England has had riots approximately every decade for more than half a century (and had riots previously).
Scotland has not had a single riot over that time period: even the Poll tax only caused riots down south.
As every riot seems to have had a different cause, with often different ethnicities involved, it may be something that John Curtis or the London-based media simply cannot explain.
I notice the Anglo Brit press are reporting “nationalist riots” but only in Northern Ireland. English/British nationalism being the nationalism that doesn’t exist—-certainly not in the Brit Nat mejah!
gavinochiltre
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As commented elsewhere, I take a very dim view of the accuracy of what is purported to have been said in any BBC Scotland article, but when Andrew Kerr is involved, I ignore it…..
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Thank you for bringing this together. As ever, it is very helpful. I have a question below.
“From latest Scottish census, 7% ethnicity, compared with 18% across the UK.” Are those correct figures, or does the 7% include the Gàidhealtachd?
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Regarding the BBC News website article (11 August): ‘Why Scotland may have avoided far-right unrest’, the reported comment by Professor Curtis, if accurate, do him no professional credit.
Candidly, as someone who’s career and who’s public reputation effectively is based on designing ‘good’ questions for opinion surveys and then undertaking statistically robust analyses, what Professor Curtis gives the BBC here is poor.
We’re told: ‘Prof Sir John Curtice, who keeps a close eye on the barometer of public attitudes, agrees – but says the idea of Scotland as “a wholly welcoming nation” is “too rosy a picture”.’ (my emphasis)
If the professor in one of his surveys asked the question ‘Do you agree that Scotland is a WHOLLY welcoming nation?’ what would the response to this question be? I suspect the proportion responding ‘yes’ to the absolute ‘wholly’ would be low, i.e. not at all ‘rosy’. Stating a daft question and then predicting an unlikely response is not impressive!
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