Constitutional Change without Bullets: Parties, Pressure Groups, Elections and Devolution in Scotland

Abstract

Scottish nationalism has been characterized by non-violent political activism since the 1920s. Such activism has included pressure group lobbying, electoral campaigning, mass petitions, constitutional conventions and demonstrations. Much of the activity has focused on parties and elections. The nature of the media in Scotland has facilitated the growth of nationalism and debates about political autonomy by providing a communicative space to discuss such issues. The combined effects of this has been to place the issue of Scottish autonomy firmly onto the political agendas of political parties and governments, leading to a range of government commissions, legislation and institutional measures to deal with the issue in the context of the UK state. Moreover, such debates continued after the creation of autonomous institutions in 1999, sparked by the SNP victory at the 2007 election.