UNTITLED GORDON BROWN

With the spectre of a selfish nationalism on the rise around the world in this important new book former Prime Minister Gordon Brown looks at why it has grown in influence and what we can do about it This is vital not only to maintain the cohesion of the four nations of the United Kingdom but to ensure that its worst aspects do not lead to future conflict In the book Brown shows how the roots of nationalism often lie in economic insecurity a sense of cultural loss a disquiet about social standing and a breakdown in trust in political elites Modern nationalist movements have weaponised these complaints and framed them as a modern form of cultural discrimination political exclusion and economic exploitation Of course wherever they exist they have to be fought and he shares a range of measures that can achieve this He also assesses how nationalism is impacting the UK with a particular focus on Scotland Only by addressing the underlying causes that nationalism taps into can we combat an over assertive Scottishness that forces a choice with Britishness or an over aggressive Britishness that attempts to diminish people s Scottishness We cannot ignore the importance of identity people s need for recognition and their need to belong nor can we forget a seri