Scotland Decides

Scotland has a parliament for the first time in almost 300 years, and this book is an account of how this came about. The authors trace the origins and history of the demand for home rule in Scotland, focusing particularly on developments following the failure of the first referendum on the issue in 1979, which culminated in a second referendum in September 1997. This major political event attracted national and international interest, and its decisive result was a milestone in Scottish history. This work presents an analysis of the referendum campaign at both national and local levels, including media coverage of the event and the outcome. The reactions of voters are explored on the basis of a large survey of the electorate, and lessons to be learnt about referendums in the UK and elsewhere are discussed.

David Denver, James Mitchell, Charles Pattie, Hugh Bochel

List of Tables and Figures, Foreword, Preface, 1. Scottish Devolution: The Historical Context, 2. The Politics of Devolution 1979-97, 3. The National Campaign, 4. The Scottish Media and the Referendum, 5. Local Campaigning in the Referendum, 6. The Referendum Results, 7. Voting in the Referendum, 8. The Referendum in Context, 9. The Aftermath of the Referendum, 10. Postscript: The First Elections to the Scottish Parliament, Appendix 1: The Referendum Results, Appendix 2: The Survey of Electors, References, Index