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Allan Little presents This Union: Two Kingdoms, for Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio 4. The epic story of how and why Scotland entered into union with England, of why that Union endured for so long, and of the historic changes that have brought Scotland closer to independence than it’s been since 1707.

Having witnessed the emergence of new independent states from the Balkans to the Soviet Union and across Africa, Allan Little explores his homeland, Scotland, tracing the powerful and deep-rooted forces which are now changing - and might yet end - Scotland’s place in the UK.

In a sweeping history of national pride, ingenious character, passionately held values and political plots, Allan uncovers the people who drove the creation, development and now the unravelling of the Union.

From the catastrophe that cost Scotland half its national wealth, the sticks and carrots that the Crown used to draw Scotland into England’s embrace, to the building of a new British national identity and mythology – this is a story about the emergence of a powerful partnership forged in Empire, industry and war that some now feel is falling apart. Allan reveals the shared national enterprises that shaped the United Kingdom, and the tensions and conflicting values that might now end it.

Allan finds the hidden qualities and shared values that once bound Scotland powerfully to its British destiny, and what happens when those values diverge and then clash. with profound consequences for millions of people on both sides of the border.

Presenter: Allan Little
Producers: Jonathan Brunert and Caitlin Smith