Project Fear: How an Unlikely Alliance Kept a Kingdom United, But a Country Divided

(Paperback)

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When Scotland voted no to independence, it was hailed as a victory for the unique Better Together alliance, a triumph of cross-party collaboration, a coup for Westminster.But the unionist relief proved to be premature.Despite bitter referendum defeat, the Scottish National Party went on to conjure stunning general election success, almost eviscerating their rivals with an overwhelming surge of public support.In this compelling insider account, Joe Pike goes behind the battle lines to uncover the secrets of the much-maligned No campaign, dubbed 'Project Fear'. Drawing on exclusive interviews with over sixty sources at the heart of the action, he reveals the tears, the tantrums and the tactical failings that saw a double-digit poll lead reduced to a nail-biting finale, with victory eventually coming at a catastrophic cost to the Labour Party.Now, as the future of the union looks as uncertain as ever, this new, updated edition explores the striking parallels between the Scottish and EU referendums, and asks: where now for Scotland in the wake of a political landslide

Reviews

'A great read...' Nicola Sturgeon; 'Shocking, riveting and hilarious. The Scottish Thick of It.' Owen Jones; 'Fascinating.' Fraser Nelson, The Spectator; 'Remarkably revealing and often amusing.' The Guardian; '[An] adrenaline-fuelled, blood and guts account.' Prospect; 'Explosive.' Daily Mail;

Author Bio

Joe Pike is a political reporter for ITV Border at the Scottish Parliament, for which he covered the 2014 independence referendum. He lives in Edinburgh and this is his first book.