Competition and Collaboration in the Anglo-Scottish Borderlands

The 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, and the success of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in May 2015’s UK General Election, have ensured that the nature and significance of the Anglo-Scottish border is of growing political salience, particularly given the likelihood of additional devolution increasing the divergence between the two nations. In examining the implications of these developments, this article focuses on the changing nature of the relationship between Scotland and its nearest neighbours across the border, the North East of England. It captures the latter’s traditional fears that a more powerful Scotland will undermine economic fortunes just south of the border, and illustrates how the region has utilised the granting of more powers to Scotland to strengthen its own case to Westminster for greater devolved powers. The article then highlights attempts to develop new collaborative cross-border approaches to economic governance in the ‘Borderlands’ and concludes by considering whether the border is increasingly being seen less as a ‘barrier’ and more as a ‘bridge’ – an enabling mechanism which brings opportunities to forge new cross-border relationships.