PhD without Master's advice please, IR student

I study International Relations at Edinburgh university. I will graduate with an undergraduate MA in 2018 and I don't fancy doing Masters. Say if I get a first class MA and I'd be happy to self-fund my PhD, is it likely that I can do PhD in a Russel Group uni? Do you know ppl who've done so?
I got AABB in A-levels and A*A*AAAABBBB in GCSEs

First off self-funding a PhD isn't really worth it imo but that's something to think about. Maybe think about funding you can apply for and if you don't get it then think about self-funding. Being able to secure funding looks very good on a CV especially if you aim to stay in academia. Whether or not the masters was undergrad, you've done one so you should be fine.

The issue of funding in ONLY relevant if you are hoping to pursue a career in academic research, where it founds the cornerstone of your evidence of the ability to secure funds. It's utterly irrelevant if you are taking your intellectual capacity elsewhere - you'd never have a place to mention it in an application, nor be asked at interview.

Any more advice? It'll be highly appreciated

I would say having a master is a good thing to have in your application. I believe that for funding having a master would definitely strengthen the application. Also, the majority of universities require a research module (such as dissertation), and unless you had something like that during the undergraduate degree, you better to undertake a master. However, the requirements vary among universities and I would advice to speak with them directly.

We have to write a dissertation as part of the undergraduate MA degree in Scotland, does that count? If you know.

You should refer those questions to the admission of the university of your choice. I'm pretty sure they want to know if you have studied any research methods during your undergraduate degree meaning that you have some research expertise. If you know what are quantitative versus qualitative research methods and your dissertation adopts on of these, then yes, I would say that your dissertation counts. But if you don't know those, then they would likely to ask you to do a master with a research component. Also if you don't want to do a master in a specific subject, you can undertake MRes - The Master of Research.
But once again, you should carefully read the requirements, and talk with the admission.

I study International Relations at Edinburgh university. I will graduate with an undergraduate MA in 2018 and I don't fancy doing Masters. Say if I get a first class MA and I'd be happy to self-fund my PhD, is it likely that I can do PhD in a Russel Group uni? Do you know ppl who've done so?
I got AABB in A-levels and A*A*AAAABBBB in GCSEs

It's possible, but highly unlikely. Your A levels and GCSEs are irrelevant.

Just for the record, in Scotland ppl finish undergrad with an MA. It is not a Masters degree it's just called masters. It is technically an undergraduate masters which according to TSR is more or less the same as a BA from English universities.

Can you just confirm that if operating on the following premise, the degree you will graduate with is a standard, for England and Wales, undergrad Masters degree, ie the 4th year integrated undergrad masters in England?

Scottish first year = A2 school year equivalent in England
Scottish 2nd year = 1st year undergrad in England
Scottish 3rd year = 2nd year undergrad in England
Scottish 4th year = 3rd year undergrad in England
Scottish MA year = 4th year integrated undergrad masters in England.

If you have completed the fifth line of the above list, regardless of how many years of study prior (ie you might have started in the Scottish 2nd year equivalent because you have full A level equivalents), then you have a standard undergrad masters and can credibly and competitively apply for a PhD.

If you have just completed what the list above describes as Scottish 4th year = 3rd year undergrad in England, and your University simply calls that an MA, then regardless of the fact you have done a 20k dissertation, you are unlikely to be competitive for a PhD in IR where the vast majority of applicants will have a masters degree.

The exact equivalency of your final year is key here.

yea that's correct, I am not going to complete the 5th year as part of my course. I though it is possible to apply to PhD without a masters degree now that's one extra year I'm going to have to do.

The competition of other applicants with a masters degree is formidable. Most IR programme adcomms would prefer an applicant with more advanced modules and relevant internships in government or Int Orgs..

if you look at profiles of some IR PhD students, most have masters degrees and some even did MSc at the same department prior to PhD (inhouse candidates)

It's always possible to apply, but it isn't usually possible to be competitive for IR, as Tcannon suggests.

It's always possible to apply, but it isn't usually possible to be competitive for IR, as Tcannon suggests.

The competition of other applicants with a masters degree is formidable. Most IR programme adcomms would prefer an applicant with more advanced modules and relevant internships in government or Int Orgs..

if you look at profiles of some IR PhD students, most have masters degrees and some even did MSc at the same department prior to PhD (inhouse candidates)