Scottish National Party: Difference between revisions
→Economy: Author fix |
m Bot: link syntax and minor changes |
||
Line 574: | Line 574: | ||
* Vacant 1999–2001<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 October 2001 |title=Swinney shuns spin in party posts |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12143178.swinney-shuns-spin-in-party-posts/ |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=HeraldScotland |language=en}}</ref> |
* Vacant 1999–2001<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 October 2001 |title=Swinney shuns spin in party posts |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12143178.swinney-shuns-spin-in-party-posts/ |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=HeraldScotland |language=en}}</ref> |
||
* [[Peter Murrell]], 2001–2023<ref>{{Cite web |title=Investigation: Inside the SNP money machine |date=6 August 2023 |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23703844.investigation-inside-snp-money-machine/}}</ref> |
* [[Peter Murrell]], 2001–2023<ref>{{Cite web |title=Investigation: Inside the SNP money machine |date=6 August 2023 |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23703844.investigation-inside-snp-money-machine/}}</ref> |
||
* Murray Foote, 2023–present |
* Murray Foote, 2023–present<ref>{{Cite news |title=Murray Foote appointed as new SNP chief executive |work=BBC News |date=23 August 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-66596560 |access-date=2023-12-28 |language=en}}</ref> |
||
=== Current SNP Council Leaders === |
=== Current SNP Council Leaders === |
||
Line 621: | Line 621: | ||
|[[Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government]] |
|[[Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government]] |
||
|[[File:Official portrait of deputy first minister Shona Robison (Cropped 1).jpg|frameless|133x133px]] |
|[[File:Official portrait of deputy first minister Shona Robison (Cropped 1).jpg|frameless|133x133px]] |
||
|'''[[Shona Robison]]''' {{small|[[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]]}} |
|||
|May 2024 – present{{Efn|Robison previously held the Finance portfolio since March 2023 but gained the additional portfolio of Local Government in May 2024}} |
|May 2024 – present{{Efn|Robison previously held the Finance portfolio since March 2023 but gained the additional portfolio of Local Government in May 2024}} |
||
|- |
|- |
||
Line 684: | Line 684: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
|Chief Whip |
|Chief Whip |
||
|[[File: |
|[[File:Official portrait of Kirsty Blackman crop 2.jpg|frameless|113x113px]] |
||
|[[Kirsty Blackman]] {{small|MP}} |
|[[Kirsty Blackman]] {{small|MP}} |
||
|- |
|- |
Revision as of 11:11, 17 August 2024
Scottish National Party Scots National Pairty Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | SNP |
Leader | John Swinney |
Depute Leader | Keith Brown |
Westminster Leader | Stephen Flynn |
President | Vacant[1] |
Chief Executive | Murray Foote |
Founded | 7 April 1934 |
Merger of | |
Headquarters | Gordon Lamb House 3 Jackson's Entry Edinburgh EH8 8PJ |
Student wing | SNP Students |
Youth wing | Young Scots for Independence |
LGBT wing | Out for Independence |
Membership (December 2023) | 69,325[2] |
Ideology | |
Political position | Centre-left[23] |
European affiliation | European Free Alliance |
Colours | Yellow Black |
Anthem | "Scots Wha Hae"[24][25] |
House of Commons (Scottish seats) | 9 / 57 |
Scottish Parliament[26] | 63 / 129 |
Local government in Scotland[27] | 453 / 1,227 |
Election symbol | |
Website | |
snp.org | |
The Scottish National Party (SNP; Template:Lang-sco, Template:Lang-gd [ˈpʰaːrˠtʰi ˈn̪ˠaːʃən̪ˠt̪ə nə ˈhal̪ˠapə]) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 63 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons. It has 453 local councillors of the 1,227 available. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom and for Scotland's membership in the European Union,[14][28][29] with a platform based on progressive social policies and civic nationalism.[17][18] Founded in 1934 with the amalgamation of the National Party of Scotland and the Scottish Party, the party has had continuous parliamentary representation in Westminster since Winnie Ewing won the 1967 Hamilton by-election.[30]
With the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999, the SNP became the second-largest party, serving two terms as the opposition. The SNP gained power under Alex Salmond at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, forming a minority government, before going on to win the 2011 Parliament election, after which it formed Holyrood's first majority government.[31] After Scotland voted against independence in the 2014 referendum, Salmond resigned and was succeeded by Nicola Sturgeon. The SNP achieved a record number of 56 seats in Westminster after the 2015 general election to become the third largest party[32] but in Holyrood it was reduced back to being a minority government at the 2016 election. In the 2021 election, the SNP gained one seat and entered a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. In March 2023 Sturgeon resigned and was replaced by Humza Yousaf.
In April 2024, Yousaf collapsed the power-sharing deal with the Greens and resigned the following week due to the resulting fallout of the decision. The incumbent John Swinney was elected leader in May 2024. In the 2024 general election, the SNP lost 38 seats, reducing it to the second-largest party in Scotland and the fourth-largest party in the Westminster Parliament. The party does not have any members of the House of Lords on the principle that it opposes the upper house of Parliament and calls for it to be scrapped.[33] The SNP is a member of the European Free Alliance (EFA).
History
Foundation and early breakthroughs (1934–1970)
The SNP was formed in 1934 through the merger of the National Party of Scotland and the Scottish Party, with the Duke of Montrose and Cunninghame Graham as its first joint presidents.[34] Alexander MacEwen was its first chairman.[35]
The party was divided on its approach to the Second World War. Professor Douglas Young, who was SNP leader from 1942 to 1945, campaigned for the Scottish people to refuse conscription and his activities were popularly vilified as undermining the British war effort against the Axis powers. Young was imprisoned for refusing to be conscripted. The party suffered its first split during this period with John MacCormick leaving the party in 1942, owing to his failure to change the party's policy from supporting all-out independence to Home Rule at that year's conference in Glasgow. McCormick went on to form the Scottish Covenant Association, a non-partisan political organisation campaigning for the establishment of a devolved Scottish Assembly.
However, wartime conditions also enabled the SNP's first parliamentary success at the Motherwell by-election in 1945, but Robert McIntyre MP lost the seat at the general election three months later. The 1950s were characterised by similarly low levels of support, and this made it difficult for the party to advance. Indeed, in most general elections they were unable to put up more than a handful of candidates. The 1960s, however, offered more electoral successes, with candidates polling credibly at Glasgow Bridgeton in 1961, West Lothian in 1962 and Glasgow Pollok in 1967. This foreshadowed Winnie Ewing's surprise victory in a by-election at the previously safe Labour seat of Hamilton. This brought the SNP to national prominence, leading to the establishment of the Kilbrandon Commission.
Becoming a notable force (1970s)
Despite this breakthrough, the 1970 general election was to prove a disappointment for the party as, despite an increase in vote share, Ewing failed to retain her seat in Hamilton. The party did receive some consolation with the capture of the Western Isles, making Donald Stewart the party's only MP. This was to be the case until the 1973 by-election at Glasgow Govan where a hitherto safe Labour seat was claimed by Margo MacDonald.[36]
Nineteen seventy-four was to prove something of an annus mirabilis for the party, as it deployed its highly effective It's Scotland's oil campaign.[37][failed verification] The SNP gained six seats at the February general election before hitting a high point in the October re-run, polling almost a third of all votes in Scotland and returning 11 MPs to Westminster. Furthermore, during that year's local elections the party claimed overall control of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.[citation needed]
This success was to continue for much of the decade, and at the 1977 district elections the SNP saw victories at councils including East Kilbride and Falkirk and held the balance of power in Glasgow.[38] However, this level of support was not to last and by 1978 Labour revival was evident at three by-elections (Glasgow Garscadden, Hamilton and Berwick and East Lothian) as well as the regional elections.
In 1976, James Callaghan's minority government made an agreement with the SNP and Plaid Cymru. In return for their support in the Commons, the government would respond to the Kilbrandon commission and legislate to devolve powers from Westminster to Scotland and Wales.[39] The resulting Scotland Act 1978 would create a Scottish assembly, subject to a referendum. Labour, the Liberals and the SNP campaigned for a "yes" vote in the referendum on the Scotland Act and "yes" won a majority, but a threshold imposed by anti-devolution Labour MP George Cunningham requiring 40% of the electorate to be in favour was not reached due to low turnout.[40] When the government decided not to implement the Act, the SNP's MPs withdrew their support and voted to support Margaret Thatcher's motion of no confidence in Callaghan's government.[41] In the ensuing general election, the party experienced a large drop in its support. Reduced to just 2 MPs, the successes of October 1974 were not to be surpassed until the 2015 general election.[42]
Factional divisions and infighting (1980s)
Following this defeat, a period of internal strife occurred within the party, culminating with the formation of the left-wing 79 Group.[43] Traditionalists within the party, centred around Winnie Ewing, by this time an MEP, responded by establishing the Campaign for Nationalism in Scotland which sought to ensure that the primary objective of the SNP was campaigning for independence without a traditional left-right orientation, even though this would have undone the work of figures such as William Wolfe, who developed a clearly social democratic policy platform throughout the 1970s.[citation needed]
These events ensured the success of a leadership motion at the party's annual conference of 1982, in Ayr, despite the 79 Group being bolstered by the merger of Jim Sillars' Scottish Labour Party (SLP) although this influx of ex-SLP members further shifted the characteristics of the party leftwards. Despite this, traditionalist figure Gordon Wilson remained party leader through the electoral disappointments of 1983 and 1987, where he lost his own Dundee East seat won 13 years prior.
Through this period, Sillars' influence in the party grew, developing a clear socio-economic platform including Independence in Europe, reversing the SNP's previous opposition to membership of the then-EEC which had been unsuccessful in a 1975 referendum. This position was enhanced further by Sillars reclaiming Glasgow Govan in a by-election in 1988.
Despite this moderation, the party did not join Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens as well as civil society in the Scottish Constitutional Convention which developed a blueprint for a devolved Scottish Parliament due to the unwillingness of the convention to discuss independence as a constitutional option.[44][failed verification]
First Salmond era (1990s)
Alex Salmond had been elected MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987, after the re-admittance of 79 Group members, and was able to seize the party leadership after Wilson's resignation in 1990 after a contest with Margaret Ewing. This was a surprise victory as Ewing had the backing of much of the party establishment, including Sillars and then-Party Secretary John Swinney. The defection of Labour MP Dick Douglas further evidenced the party's clear left-wing positioning, particularly regarding opposition to the poll tax.[45] Despite this, Salmond's leadership was unable to avert a fourth successive general election disappointment in 1992 with the party reduced back from 5 to 3 MPs.
The mid-90s offered some successes for the party, with North East Scotland being gained at the 1994 European elections and the party securing a by-election at Perth and Kinross in 1995 after a near-miss at Monklands East the previous year. Nineteen ninety-seven offered the party's most successful general election for 23 years, although in the face of the Labour landslide the party was unable to match either of the two 1974 elections. That September, the party joined with the members of the Scottish Constitutional Convention in the successful Yes-Yes campaign in the devolution referendum which lead to the establishment of a Scottish Parliament with tax-varying powers.
By 1999, the first elections to the parliament were being held, although the party suffered a disappointing result, gaining just 35 MSPs in the face of Salmond's unpopular 'Kosovo Broadcast' which opposed NATO intervention in the country.[46]
Opposing Labour-Liberal Democrat coalitions (1999–2007)
This meant that the party began as the official opposition in the parliament to a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition government. Salmond found the move to a more consensual politics difficult and sought a return to Westminster, resigning the leadership in 2000 with John Swinney, like Salmond a gradualist,[47] victorious in the ensuring leadership election.[48] Swinney's leadership proved ineffectual, with a loss of one MP in 2001 and a further reduction to 27 MSPs in 2003 despite the Officegate scandal unseating previous First Minister Henry McLeish.[49][failed verification] However, the only parties to gain seats in that election were the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) which like the SNP support independence.[50][51]
Following an unsuccessful leadership challenge in 2003, Swinney stepped down following disappointing results in the European elections of 2004[52] with Salmond victorious in the subsequent leadership contest despite initially refusing to be candidate.[53] Nicola Sturgeon was elected Depute Leader and became the party's leader in the Scottish Parliament until Salmond was able to return at the next parliamentary election.[citation needed]
Salmond governments (2007–2014)
In 2007, the SNP emerged as the largest party in the Scottish Parliament with 47 of 129 seats, narrowly ousting Scottish Labour with 46 seats and Alex Salmond becoming First Minister after ousting the Liberal Democrats in Gordon. The Scottish Greens supported Salmond's election as First Minister, and his subsequent appointments of ministers, in return for early tabling of the climate change bill and the SNP nominating a Green MSP to chair a parliamentary committee.[54] Despite this, Salmond's minority government tended to strike budget deals with the Conservatives to stay in office.[55]
In the final few years of the New Labour government, there were four parliamentary by-elections in Scotland. The SNP saw marginal swings towards the party in three of them; 2006 in Dunfermline and West Fife, 2008 in Glenrothes and 2009 in Glasgow North East. None were as notable than the 2008 Glasgow East by-election, in which the SNP's John Mason took the third safest Labour seat in Scotland on a 22.5% swing.[56]
In May 2011, the SNP won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament with 69 seats.[57][58] This was followed by a reverse in the party's previous opposition to NATO membership at the party's annual conference in 2012[59] despite Salmond's refusal to apologise for the Kosovo broadcast on the occasion of the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.[60]
This majority enabled the SNP government to hold a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014. The "No" vote prevailed in a close-fought campaign, prompting the resignation of First Minister Alex Salmond. Forty-five percent of Scottish voters cast their ballots for independence, with the "Yes" side receiving less support than late polling predicted.[61] Exit polling by Lord Ashcroft suggested that many No voters thought independence too risky,[62] while others voted for the Union because of their emotional attachment to Britain.[63] Older voters, women and middle class voters voted no in margins above the national average.[63]
Following the Yes campaign's defeat, Salmond resigned and Nicola Sturgeon won that year's leadership election unopposed.
Sturgeon years (2014–2023)
The SNP rebounded from their loss at the independence referendum at the 2015 general election eight months later, led by former Depute Leader Nicola Sturgeon. The party went from holding six seats in the House of Commons to 56, ending 51 years of dominance by the Scottish Labour Party. All but three of the fifty-nine constituencies in the country elected an SNP candidate in the party's most comprehensive electoral victory at any level.[64]
At the 2016 Scottish election, the SNP lost a net total of six seats, losing its overall majority in the Scottish Parliament, but returning for a third consecutive term as a minority government despite gaining an additional 1.1% of the constituency vote, for the party's best-ever result, from the 2011 election however 2.3% of the regional list vote. On the constituency vote, the SNP gained a net 10 seats from Labour. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats each gained two constituency seats from the SNP on 2011.
This election was followed by the 2016 European Union referendum, after which the SNP joined with the Liberal Democrats and Greens to call for continued UK membership of the EU. Despite a consequential increase in the Conservative Party vote at the 2017 local elections[65] the SNP for the first time became the largest party in each of Scotland's four city councils: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, where a Labour administration was ousted after 37 years.[66]
At the 2017 general election, the SNP underperformed compared to polling expectations, losing 21 seats to bring their number of Commons seats down to 35 – however, this was still the party's second-best result ever at the time.[67][68][69] This was largely attributed by many, including former Deputy First Minister John Swinney,[70] to their stance on holding a second Scottish independence referendum and saw a swing to the unionist parties, with seats being picked up by the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats and a reduction in their majorities in the other seats. High-profile losses included SNP Commons leader Angus Robertson and former SNP leader and First Minister Alex Salmond.
The SNP went on to achieve its best-ever European Parliament result in the final election before Brexit, the party taking its MEP total to three (or half of Scottish seats) and achieving a record vote share for the party. This was also the best performance of any party in the era of proportional elections to the European Parliament in Scotland. This was suggested as being due to the party's europhile sentiment during what amounted to a single-issue election.
Later that year, the SNP experienced a surge in support at the 2019 general election, winning a 45.0% share of the vote and 48 seats, its second-best result ever. The party gained seven seats from the Conservatives and 6 from Labour. This victory was generally attributed to Sturgeon's cautious approach regarding holding a second independence referendum and a strong emphasis on retaining EU membership during the election campaign.[71][failed verification] The following January, the strengthened Conservative government ensured that the UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020.
At the 2021 Scottish election, the SNP won 64 seats, one seat short of a majority, albeit achieving a record high number of votes, vote share and constituency seats, and leading to another minority government led by the SNP. Sturgeon emphasised after her party's victory that it would focus on controlling the COVID-19 pandemic as well as pushing for a second referendum on independence.[72]
Although they won with a majority in 2021, a majority of MSPs elected had come from parties that supported Scottish independence; this prompted negotiations between the SNP and the Scottish Green Party to secure a deal that would see Green ministers appointed to government and the Scottish Greens backing SNP policies, with hopes that this united front on independence would solidify the SNP's mandate for the second independence referendum. The Third Sturgeon government was formed with Green support.[73]
In July 2021, the Scottish Police launched an investigation into possibly missing funds raised between 2017 and 2020 specifically for a second referendum. The investigation was given the code name Operation Branchform.[74] In the 2022 Scottish local elections, the SNP remained as the biggest party, winning a record number of councillors and securing majority control of Dundee.[75] On 15 February 2023, Sturgeon announced her intention to resign as leader and first minister.[76]
On 16 March 2023, it was revealed that the SNP's membership had fallen to 72,000, down from over 125,000 at the end of 2019. As a result of this, CEO Peter Murrell resigned on 18 March after criticism was levied at him over the way the figures were published.[77]
Yousaf era (March 2023 – May 2024)
Humza Yousaf was announced as the next Leader of the Scottish National Party on 27 March 2023 after winning the leadership election. Yousaf defeated challenger Kate Forbes in the final stage, with 52% of the vote to Forbes' 48%.[78][79][80] The leadership election was dominated by the strategy for a second independence referendum and the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which has divided the party.[81][82] On 29 March 2023, Yousaf was appointed First Minister of Scotland. On 18 April, his government published its policy prospectus titled "Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start"[83]
On 23 August 2023, Murray Foote was appointed as the new Chief Executive of the SNP.[84] On 12 October 2023, MP Lisa Cameron crossed the floor to join the Scottish Conservatives, ahead of counting the votes on her selection contest within the SNP for the 2024 United Kingdom general election. She became the first elected representative from the SNP to defect to a unionist party. Cameron claimed a "toxic and bullying" culture in the SNP led to her defection.[85][86]
On 15 October 2023, the SNP National Conference voted in favour of Yousaf's strategy on Scottish independence, including a number of amendments proposed from senior SNP representatives. This committed the SNP to launching a Scotland-wide independence campaign before the end of 2023.[87][88] Yousaf also made a number of policy announcements, including a freeze on Council Tax rates, additional funding for the NHS to reduce waiting lists as well as the issuing of government bonds to fund infrastructure projects.[89][90][91]
On 25 April 2024, it was announced that the Bute House Agreement would come to an end[92] before a vote was to be held by the Scottish Greens on whether to continue the agreement.[93] Four days later, Yousaf announced that he would be resigning as Leader of the Scottish National Party and as First Minister of Scotland.[94]
Operation Branchform
In April 2023, two SNP officials were arrested and released without charge in connection with the investigation into Scottish National Party finances. Peter Murrell was arrested on 5 April[95] and Colin Beattie, the SNP treasurer, on 18 April.[96] Murrell is the husband of former party leader, Nicola Sturgeon. The day Murrell was arrested and interviewed, Police Scotland also searched a number of addresses, including the SNP's headquarters and Murrell's home in Glasgow.[97][98] Beattie resigned as SNP treasurer and was replaced by Stuart McDonald.[99]
Also in April, it was reported that the SNP's auditors, Johnston Carmichael, had resigned from their role around October 2022, and were yet to be replaced, three months before the party's accounts 2022 were due to be submitted to the Electoral Commission.[100] New auditors were appointed in May.[101] Filing the party accounts in June 2023, the new auditors highlighted that they had not been able to find original records for some cash and cheques.[102][103]
Murrell was re-arrested on 18 April 2024 and charged with embezzlement. He later resigned his membership of the SNP. A Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service spokesman confirmed that it received a report in relation to Murrell and that an investigation into two other individuals "a man aged 72 and a 53-year-old woman" were still ongoing.[104] [105]
Swinney era (May 2024 onwards)
On 6 May 2024, John Swinney was confirmed as the new leader of the Scottish National Party in the 2024 Scottish National Party leadership election.[106] He was unopposed in the race as on 2 May his main speculated challenger, Kate Forbes, announced she would not stand in the race and endorsed Swinney[107] and on 5 May, Graeme McCormick claimed that he secured enough member votes for a nomination but then dropped out the same evening following a conversation with Swinney, ultimately endorsing him.[108]
During the campaign for the 2024 general election, the SNP was investigated by Holyrood authorities for allegedly misusing MSPs' expenses to fund their campaigning. An anonymous complaint was sent to Alison Johnstone in which an individual claimed that stamps bought with expenses were given to Westminster election candidates for mailing leaflets. The complaint included a WhatsApp screenshot showing MSP staff discussing the traceability of the stamps. Parliamentary rules state that stationery and postage provided by the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body "must be used only for parliamentary duties and must not be used for any other purpose, including party political purposes". It was reported that John Swinney's office manager had told an SNP staff WhatsApp group chat that "stamp fairy is very useful when it comes to campaigns". An SNP spokesperson confirmed the investigation and emphasized compliance with the rules, while John Swinney stated that he had been "assured that no parliamentary stamps that have been provided by Parliament have been used to support election purposes", adding that he was "confident" that there had been no use of any public money to support the SNP general election campaign. This investigation occurred amid SNP's financial struggles, falling membership, and the police investigation into alleged embezzlement. Despite a £128,000 bequest boosting their campaign, SNP spending was minimal compared to other parties.[109][110]
The SNP ultimately won nine seats in the 2024 election, a loss of 39 seats on its 2019 result, reducing it to the second-largest party in Scotland, behind Scottish Labour, and the fourth-largest party in Westminster. Swinney took full responsibility but said that he would not resign as leader. He said of the results, "There will have to be a lot of soul searching as a party as a consequence of these results that have come in tonight", and that the SNP has to be "better at governing on behalf of the people of Scotland", admitting the party was not "winning the argument" on Scottish independence.[111]
Constitution and structure
The local Branches are the primary level of organisation in the SNP. All of the Branches within each Scottish Parliament constituency form a Constituency Association, which coordinates the work of the Branches within the constituency, coordinates the activities of the party in the constituency and acts as a point of liaison between an MSP or MP and the party. Constituency Associations are composed of delegates from all of the Branches within the constituency.
The annual National Conference is the supreme governing body of the SNP and is responsible for determining party policy and electing the National Executive Committee. The National Conference is composed of:
- delegates from every Branch and Constituency Association
- the members of the National Executive Committee
- every SNP MSP and MP
- all SNP councillors
- delegates from each of the SNP's Affiliated Organisations (Young Scots for Independence, SNP Students, SNP Trade Union Group, the Association of Nationalist Councillors, the Disabled Members Group, the SNP BAME Network, Scots Asians for Independence, and Out for Independence)
There are also regular meetings of the National Assembly, which provides a forum for detailed discussions of party policy by party members.
Membership
The SNP experienced a large surge in membership following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.[112] In 2013, the party's membership stood at just 20,000,[113] but that number had swelled to over 100,000 by 2015.[114] Party membership peaked in 2019 at around 125,000.[2] Annual accounts submitted by the party to the Electoral Commission showed the SNP to have over 119,000 members in 2021.[115] By the end of 2021, the party reported that this number was 103,884.[116] Membership then continued to fall: to 85,000 at the end of 2022, and to 72,186 in March 2023.[117] By the end of 2023, this had fallen to 69,325.[2]
European affiliation
The SNP retains close links with Plaid Cymru, its counterpart in Wales. MPs from both parties co-operate closely with each other and work as a single parliamentary group within the House of Commons. Both the SNP and Plaid Cymru are members of the European Free Alliance (EFA),[118] a European political party comprising regionalist political parties. The EFA co-operates with the larger European Green Party to form The Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) group in the European Parliament.[119] Before its affiliation with The Greens–European Free Alliance, the SNP had previously been allied with the European Progressive Democrats (1979–1984), Rainbow Group (1989–1994) and European Radical Alliance (1994–1999).[120]
As the UK is no longer a member of the EU, the SNP has no MEPs.
Policies
Ideology
The Scottish National Party did not have a clear ideological position until the 1970s, when it sought to explicitly present itself as a social democratic party in terms of party policy and publicity.[121][122] During the period from its foundation until the 1960s, the SNP was essentially a moderate centrist party.[121] Debate within the party focused more on the SNP being distinct as an all-Scotland national movement, with it being neither of the left nor the right, but constituting a new politics that sought to put Scotland first.[122][123]
The SNP was formed through the merger of the centre-left National Party of Scotland (NPS) and the centre-right Scottish Party.[122] The SNP's founders were united over self-determination in principle, though not its exact nature, or the best strategic means to achieve self-government. From the mid-1940s onwards, SNP policy was radical and redistributionist concerning land and in favour of 'the diffusion of economic power', including the decentralisation of industries such as coal to include the involvement of local authorities and regional planning bodies to control industrial structure and development.[121] Party policies supported the economic and social policy status quo of the post-war welfare state.[121][124]
By the 1960s, the SNP was starting to become defined ideologically, with a social democratic tradition emerging as the party grew in urban, industrial Scotland, and its membership experienced an influx of social democrats from the Labour Party, the trade unions and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.[125][126] The emergence of Billy Wolfe as a leading figure in the SNP also contributed to the leftwards shift. By this period, the Labour Party was also the dominant party in Scotland, in terms of electoral support and representation. Targeting Labour through emphasising left-of-centre policies and values was therefore electorally logical for the SNP, as well as tying in with the ideological preferences of many new party members.[126] In 1961, the SNP conference expressed the party's opposition to the siting of the US Polaris submarine base at the Holy Loch. This policy was followed in 1963 by a motion opposed to nuclear weapons: a policy that has remained in place ever since.[127] The 1964 policy document, SNP & You, contained a clear centre-left policy platform, including commitments to full employment, government intervention in fuel, power and transport, a state bank to guide economic development, encouragement of cooperatives and credit unions, extensive building of council houses (social housing) by central and local government, pensions adjusted to cost of living, a minimum wage and an improved national health service.[121]
The 1960s also saw the beginnings of the SNP's efforts to establish an industrial organisation and mobilise amongst trade unionists in Scotland, with the establishment of the SNP Trade Union Group, and identifying the SNP with industrial campaigns, such as the Upper-Clyde Shipbuilders Work-in and the attempt of the workers at the Scottish Daily Express to run as a co-operative.[121] For the party manifestos for the two 1974 general elections, the SNP finally self-identified as a social democratic party, and proposed a range of social democratic policies.[128][129] There was also an unsuccessful proposal at the 1975 party conference to rename the party as the Scottish National Party (Social Democrats).[130] In the UK-wide referendum on Britain's membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) in the same year as the aforementioned attempted name change, the SNP campaigned for Britain to leave the EEC.[131][132]
There were further ideological and internal struggles after 1979, with the 79 Group attempting to move the SNP further to the left, away from being what could be described a "social-democratic" party, to an expressly "socialist" party. Members of the 79 Group – including future party leader and First Minister Alex Salmond – were expelled from the party. This produced a response in the shape of the Campaign for Nationalism in Scotland from those who wanted the SNP to remain a "broad church", apart from arguments of left vs. right. The 1980s saw the SNP further define itself as a party of the political left, such as campaigning against the introduction of the poll tax in Scotland in 1989; one year before the tax was imposed on the rest of the UK.[121]
Ideological tensions inside the SNP are further complicated by arguments between the so-called SNP gradualists and SNP fundamentalists. In essence, gradualists seek to advance Scotland to independence through further devolution, in a "step-by-step" strategy. They tend to be in the moderate left grouping, though much of the 79 Group was gradualist in approach. However, this 79 Group gradualism was as much a reaction against the fundamentalists of the day, many of whom believed the SNP should not take a clear left or right position.[121]
Economy
During the 1970s the SNP campaigned widely on the political slogan It's Scotland's oil, where it was argued that the discovery of North Sea oil off the coast of Scotland, and the revenue that it created would not benefit Scotland to any significant degree while Scotland remained part of the United Kingdom.
The Sturgeon Government in 2017 adjusted income tax rates so that low earners would pay less and those earning more than £33,000 a year would pay more.[133] Previously the party had replaced the flat rate Stamp Duty with the LBTT, which uses a graduated tax rate.[134] Whilst in government, the party was also responsible for the establishment of Revenue Scotland to administer devolved taxation.
Having previously defined itself in opposition to the poll tax[121] the SNP has also championed progressive taxation at a local level. Despite pledging to introduce a local income tax[135] the Salmond Government found itself unable to replace the council tax and the party has, particularly since the ending of the council tax freeze[136] under Nicola Sturgeon's leadership, committing to increasing the graduated nature of the tax.[137] Conversely, the party has also supported capping and reducing Business Rates in an attempt to support small businesses.[138]
It has been noted that the party contains a broader spectrum of opinion regarding economic policy than most political parties in the UK due to its status as "the only viable vehicle for Scottish independence",[139] with the party's parliamentary group at Westminster in 2016 including socialists such as Tommy Sheppard and Mhairi Black, capitalists such as Stewart Hosie and former Conservative, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh.[139][140]
Social justice
In 1980, when Robin Cook moved an amendment to legalise homosexual acts to the Bill which became the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980, the SNP's two MPs Gordon Wilson and Donald Stewart both voted against the amendment.[141]
In June 2000, the SNP supported the repeal of section 28, a series of laws across Britain that prohibited the "promotion of homosexuality" by local authorities.[142]
In government in July 2012, the SNP announced that they would legislate for civil and religious same-sex marriage in Scotland.[143] The bill was fast-tracked through the Scottish Parliament,[144] and approved with 105 MSPs in favour in February 2014.[145]
Under Sturgeon's leadership, Scotland was twice in succession named the best country in Europe for LGBT+ legal equality.[146] The party is considered very supportive of gays, lesbians and bisexuals - something that historically was not the case, as stated above.[147][148]
The SNP legislated to improve gender self-identification with the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. The policy was controversial within the SNP, with some of the party's social conservatives claiming the reforms could be open to abuse.[147][149] In 2020, the Scottish Government paused the legislation in order to find "maximum consensus" on the issue[147] and commentators described the issue as having divided the SNP like no other, with many dubbing the debate a "civil war".[150][151][152] In January 2021, a former trans officer in the SNP's LGBT wing, Teddy Hope, quit the party, describing it was one of the "core hubs of transphobia in Scotland".[153] Large numbers of LGBT activists followed suit and Sturgeon released a video message in which she said that transphobia is "not acceptable" and that she hoped they would one day rejoin the party.[154][155] In December 2022, the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed by a majority of 86 to 39, with nine SNP members voting against the bill and 54 for.[156]
Particularly since Nicola Sturgeon's elevation to First Minister the party has highlighted its commitments to gender equality – with her first act being to appoint a gender balanced cabinet.[157] The SNP have also taken steps to implement all-women shortlists whilst Sturgeon has introduced a mentoring scheme[158] to encourage women's political engagement.[159]
The SNP supports multiculturalism[160] with Scotland receiving thousands of refugees from the Syrian Civil War.[161] To this end it has been claimed that refugees in Scotland are better supported than those in England.[162] More generally, the SNP seeks to increase immigration to combat a declining population[163] and calling for a separate Scottish visa even within the UK.[164] However, data for 2022 shows that Scotland houses proportionally fewer asylum seekers relative to its population than England.[165]
Foreign affairs and defence
Despite traditionally supporting military neutrality[166] the SNP's policy has in recent years moved to support both the Atlanticist and Europeanist traditions. This is particularly evident in the conclusion of the NATO debate within the party in favour of those who support membership of the military alliance.[167] This is despite the party's continuing opposition to Scotland hosting nuclear weapons and then-leader Salmond's criticism of both the Kosovo intervention[168] and the Iraq War.[169] The party has placed an emphasis on developing positive relations with the United States in recent years[170] despite a lukewarm reaction to the election of part-Scottish American Donald Trump as President due to long running legal disputes.[171]
Having opposed continued membership in the 1975 referendum, the party has supported membership of the European Union since the adoption of the Independence in Europe policy during the 1980s. Consequentially, the SNP supported remaining within the EU during the 2016 referendum where every Scottish council area backed this position.[172] Consequently, the party opposed Brexit and sought a further referendum on the withdrawal agreement,[173] ultimately unsuccessfully. The SNP would like to see an independent Scotland as a member of the European Union and NATO[174] and has left open the prospect of an independent Scotland joining the euro.[175]
The SNP has also taken a stance against Russian interference abroad – the party supporting the enlargement of the EU and NATO to areas such as the Western Balkans and Ukraine to counter this influence.[176][177] The party called for repercussions for Russia regarding the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal[178] and has criticised former leader Alex Salmond for broadcasting a chat show on Kremlin-backed[179] network RT.[180] Consequently, party representatives have expressed support for movements such as Euromaidan that support the independence of countries across Eastern Europe.[181][non-primary source needed][better source needed]
The party have supported measures including foreign aid which seek to facilitate international development[182] through various charitable organisations.[183] In recognition of Scotland's historic links to the country, these programmes are mostly focused in Malawi[184] in common with previous Scottish governments. With local authorities across the country, including Glasgow City Council being involved in this partnership since before the SNP took office in 2007.[185]
Health and education
The SNP have pledged to uphold the public service nature of NHS Scotland and are consequently opposed to any attempts at privatisation of the health service,[186] including any inclusion in a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States. The party has been fond of increasing provision under the NHS with the introduction of universal baby boxes based on the Finnish scheme.[187] This supported child development alongside other commitments including the expansion of free childcare for children younger than school age and the introduction of universal free school meals in the first three years of school.[188]
Previously, SNP governments have abolished hospital parking charges[189] as well as prescription charges[190] in efforts to promote enhanced public health outcomes by increasing access to care and treatment. Furthermore, during Sturgeon's premiership, Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce alcohol minimum unit pricing to counter alcohol problems.[191] Recently, the party has also committed to providing universal access to sanitary products[192] and the liberalisation of drugs policy[193] through devolution, in an effort to increase access to treatment and improve public health outcomes. Between 2014 and 2019 the party slashed the budget for drug and alcohol treatments by 6.3%[194] - a cut that has been linked with Scotland recording the highest number of drug deaths per head in Europe.[195]
The party aspires to promote universal access to education, with one of the first acts of the Salmond government being to abolish tuition fees[196] - although it has also introduced a cap on the number of Scots who can attend university and cut funding for further education colleges.[197][198] More recently, the party has turned its attention to widening access to higher education[199] with Nicola Sturgeon stating that education is her number one priority.[200] At school level, the SNP had the OECD review the Curriculum for Excellence.[201] When the review found that the "visionary ideals" of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) had not fully succeeded, they announced a series of educational reforms and the scrapping of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.[202] Furthermore, it has been claimed that a recent decline in Scotland's educational standards as illustrated by PISA studies is directly related to CfE's implementation in 2012.[203]
Constitution
The foundations of the SNP are a belief that Scotland would be more prosperous by being governed independently from the United Kingdom, although the party was defeated in the 2014 referendum on this issue.[204] The party has since sought to hold a second referendum at some point in the future, perhaps related to the outcome of Brexit,[205] as the party sees a referendum as the only route to independence. In 2016 the party convened the Sustainable Growth Commission to advise on the economy and currency of an independent Scotland. Although the Sustainable Growth Commission's report, published in 2018, divides opinion it contains the party's official economic recommendations in the event of independence. The party is constitutionalist and as such rejects holding such a referendum unilaterally or any course of actions that could lead to comparisons with cases such as Catalonia[206] with the party seeing independence as a process that should be undertaken through a consensual process alongside the UK Government. As part of this process towards independence, the party supports increased devolution to the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government, particularly in areas such as welfare and immigration.[207]
Official SNP policy is supportive of the monarchy. Many party members are republicans including former party leader Humza Yousaf[208] but his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, believes it is a "model with many merits", although she has proposed reducing the funds spent on the royal family.[209][210] Separately, the SNP has always opposed the UK's unelected upper house and would like to see both it and the House of Commons elected by a form of proportional representation.[211] The party also supports the introduction of a codified constitution, either for an independent Scotland or the UK as a whole,[212] going as far as producing a proposed interim constitution for Scotland during the independence referendum campaign.[213]
Fundamentalists and gradualists
There have always been divisions within the party on how to achieve Scottish independence, with one wing described as 'fundamentalists' and the other 'gradualists'. The SNP leadership generally subscribes to the gradualist viewpoint, that being the idea that independence can be won by the accumulation by the Scottish Parliament of powers that the UK Parliament currently has over time. Fundamentalism stands in opposition to the so-called gradualist point of view, which believes that the SNP should emphasise independence more widely to achieve it. The argument goes that if the SNP is unprepared to argue for its central policy then it is unlikely ever to persuade the public of its worthiness.[214]
Leadership
Leader of the Scottish National Party
Leader (birth-death) |
Portrait | Political office | Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alexander MacEwen (1875–1941) |
Provost of Inverness (1925–1931) Inverness Town Councillor (1908–1931) Inverness-shire County Councillor for Benbecula (1931–1941)[215] Candidate for Western Isles (1935) former member, Liberal Party founding member, Scottish Party |
7 April 1934 | 1936 | |
Prof Andrew Dewar Gibb KC (1888–1974) |
Candidate for Combined Scottish Universities (1936, 1938) former member, Unionist Party; Scottish Party |
1936 | 1940 | |
William Power (1873–1951) |
Candidate for Argyllshire (1940) | 1940 | 30 May 1942 | |
Douglas Young (1913–1973) |
Candidate for Kirkcaldy Burghs (1944) | 30 May 1942 | 9 June 1945 | |
Prof Bruce Watson (1910–1988) |
9 June 1945 | May 1947 | ||
Robert McIntyre (1913–1998) |
MP for Motherwell (1945) Provost of Stirling (1967–1975) Stirling Burgh Councillor (1956–1975) former member, Labour Party |
May 1947 | June 1956 | |
James Halliday (1927–2013) |
Candidate for Stirling and Falkirk (1955 and 1959) Candidate for West Fife (1970) |
June 1956 | 5 June 1960 | |
Arthur Donaldson (1901–1993) |
Angus County Councillor (1946–1955) Forfar Town Councillor (1945–1968) former member, National Party of Scotland |
5 June 1960 | 1 June 1969 | |
William Wolfe (1924–2010) |
Candidate for West Lothian (1970–79) | 1 June 1969 | 15 September 1979 | |
Gordon Wilson (1938–2017) |
MP for Dundee East (1974–1987) | 15 September 1979 | 22 September 1990 | |
The Right Hon. Alex Salmond (born 1954) (1st Term) |
MP for Banff and Buchan (1987–2010) MSP for Banff and Buchan (1999–2001) |
22 September 1990 | 26 September 2000 | |
John Swinney (born 1964) (1st Term) |
First Minister (2024–present) Deputy First Minister (2014–2023) MSP for Perthshire North (since 2011) MSP for North Tayside (1999–2011) MP for North Tayside (1997–2001) |
26 September 2000 | 3 September 2004 | |
The Right Hon. Alex Salmond (born 1954) (2nd Term) |
First Minister (2007–2014) MSP for Aberdeenshire East (2011–2016) MSP for Gordon (2007–2011) MP for Gordon (2015–2017) |
3 September 2004 | 14 November 2014 | |
The Right Hon. Nicola Sturgeon (born 1970) |
First Minister (2014–2023) Deputy First Minister (2007–2014) MSP for Glasgow Southside (since 2011) MSP for Glasgow Govan (2007–2011) MSP for Glasgow (1999–2007) |
14 November 2014 | 27 March 2023 | |
The Right Hon. Humza Yousaf (born 1985) |
First Minister (2023-2024) MSP for Glasgow Pollok (since 2016) MSP for Glasgow (2011–2016) |
27 March 2023 | 6 May 2024 | |
John Swinney (born 1964) (2nd Term) |
First Minister (2024–present) Deputy First Minister (2014–2023) MSP for Perthshire North (since 2011) MSP for North Tayside (1999–2011) MP for North Tayside (1997–2001) |
6 May 2024 | Incumbent |
Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party
Depute Leader (birth-death) |
Portrait | Political office | Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sandy Milne (1920–1984) |
Councillor for Stirling (1950s) | 17 May 1964[216] | 5 June 1966[216] | |
William Wolfe (1924–2010) |
Candidate for West Lothian (1966) | 5 June 1966[216] | 1 June 1969 | |
George Leslie (1936–2023) |
Councillor for Calderwood/St Leonards (1974–1978) | 1 June 1969 | 30 May 1971[216] | |
Douglas Henderson (1935–2006) (1st Term) |
MP for East Aberdeenshire (1974–1979) | 30 May 1971[216] | 3 June 1973[216] | |
Gordon Wilson (1938–2017) |
MP for Dundee East (1974–1987) | 3 June 1973[216] | 2 June 1974[216] | |
Margo MacDonald (1943–2014) |
MSP for Lothian (1999–2014) MP for Glasgow Govan (1973–1974) |
2 June 1974[216] | 15 September 1979[216] | |
Douglas Henderson (1935–2006) (2nd Term) |
MP for East Aberdeenshire (1974–1979) | 15 September 1979[216] | 30 May 1981[216] | |
Jim Fairlie (born 1940) |
Candidate for Dunfermline West (1983) | 30 May 1981[216] | 15 September 1984[216] | |
Margaret Ewing (1945–2006) |
MSP for Moray (1999–2006) MP for Moray (1987–2001) MP for East Dunbartonshire (1974–1979) |
15 September 1984[216] | 26 September 1987[216] | |
The Right Hon. Alex Salmond (born 1954) |
MP for Banff and Buchan (1987–2010) | 26 September 1987[216] | 22 September 1990 | |
Alasdair Morgan (born 1945) |
MSP for South of Scotland (2003–2011) MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (1999–2003) MP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale (1997–2001) |
22 September 1990 | 22 September 1991[216] | |
Jim Sillars (born 1937) |
MP for Glasgow Govan (1988–1992) MP for South Ayrshire (1970–1979) |
22 September 1991[216] | 25 September 1992[216] | |
Allan Macartney (1941–1998) |
MEP for North East Scotland (1994–1998) | 25 September 1992[216] | 25 August 1998[216] | |
John Swinney (born 1964) |
MSP for Perthshire North (since 2011) MSP for North Tayside (1999–2011) MP for North Tayside (1997–2001) |
25 August 1998[216] | 26 September 2000 | |
Roseanna Cunningham (born 1951) |
MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire (2011–2021) MSP for Perth (1999–2011) MP for Perth (1997–2001) MP for Perth and Kinross (1995–1997) |
26 September 2000 | 3 September 2004 | |
The Right Hon. Nicola Sturgeon (born 1970) |
Deputy First Minister (2007–2014) MSP for Glasgow Southside (since 2011) MSP for Glasgow Govan (2007–2011) MSP for Glasgow (1999–2007) |
3 September 2004 | 14 November 2014 | |
The Right Hon. Stewart Hosie (born 1963) |
MP for Dundee East (since 2005) | 14 November 2014 | 13 October 2016 | |
The Right Hon. Angus Robertson (born 1969) |
MSP for Edinburgh Central (since 2021) MP for Moray (2001–2017) |
13 October 2016 | 8 June 2018 | |
Keith Brown (born 1961) |
MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane (since 2011) MSP for Ochil (2007–2011) Leader of Clackmannanshire Council (1999–2003) Councillor for Alva (1996–2007) |
8 June 2018 | Incumbent |
President of the Scottish National Party
- James Graham, 6th Duke of Montrose and Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham (joint), 1934–1936
- Roland Muirhead, 1936–1950
- Tom Gibson, 1950–1958
- Robert McIntyre, 1958–1980
- William Wolfe, 1980–1982
- Donald Stewart, 1982–1987
- Winnie Ewing, 1987–2005
- Ian Hudghton, 2005–2020
- Michael Russell, 2020–2023
National Secretary of the Scottish National Party
- John MacCormick, 1934–1942
- Robert McIntyre, 1942–1947
- Mary Fraser Dott, 1947–1951
- Robert Curran, 1951–1954
- John Smart, 1954–1963
- Malcolm Shaw, 1963–1964
- Gordon Wilson, 1964–1971
- Muriel Gibson, 1971–1972
- Rosemary Hall, 1972–1975
- Muriel Gibson, 1975–1977
- Chrissie MacWhirter, 1977–1979
- Iain Murray, 1979–1981
- Neil MacCallum, 1981–1986
- John Swinney, 1986–1992
- Alasdair Morgan, 1992–1997
- Stewart Hosie, 1999–2003
- Alasdair Allan, 2003–2006
- Duncan Ross, 2006–2009
- William Henderson, 2009–2012
- Patrick Grady, 2012–2016
- Angus MacLeod, 2016–2020
- Stewart Stevenson, 2020–2021
- Lorna Finn, 2021–present
Leader of the parliamentary party, Scottish Parliament
- Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan), 1999–2000
- John Swinney (North Tayside), 2000–2004
- Alex Salmond (Aberdeenshire East), 2004–2014
- Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow Southside) 2014–2023
- Humza Yousaf (Glasgow Pollok) 2023–2024
- John Swinney (Perthshire North) 2024–present
Deputy Leader of the parliamentary party, Scottish Parliament
- Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) 2007–2014
- John Swinney (North Tayside) 2014–2023
- Shona Robison (Dundee City East) 2023–2024
- Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) 2024–present
Leader of the parliamentary party, House of Commons
- Donald Stewart (Western Isles), 1974–1987
- Margaret Ewing (Moray), 1987–1999
- Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale), 1999–2001
- Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan), 2001–2007
- Angus Robertson (Moray), 2007–2017
- Ian Blackford (Ross, Skye and Lochaber), 2017–2022
- Stephen Flynn (Aberdeen South), 2022–present
Deputy Leader of the parliamentary party, House of Commons
- Stewart Hosie (Dundee East) 2015–2017
- Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North) 2017–2020
- Kirsten Oswald (East Renfrewshire) 2020–2022
- Mhairi Black (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) 2022–2024
- Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire) 2024-Present
Chief Executive
- Michael Russell, 1994–1999 (and 18–27 March 2023)
- Vacant 1999–2001[217]
- Peter Murrell, 2001–2023[218]
- Murray Foote, 2023–present[219]
Current SNP Council Leaders
Parts of this article (those related to local council leaders) need to be updated. The reason given is: not reflective of the 2022 local election results.(December 2022) |
- Clackmannanshire: Les Sharp (Clackmannanshire West), since 2017
- Dundee City: John Alexander (Strathmartine), since 2017
- East Ayrshire: Douglas Reid (Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse), since 2007
- East Renfrewshire: Tony Buchanan (Newton Mearns North and Neilston), since 2017
- City of Edinburgh: Adam McVey (Leith), since 2017
- Falkirk: Cecil Meiklejohn (Falkirk North), since 2017
- Fife: David Alexander (Leven, Kennoway and Largo), since 2017
- Glasgow City: Susan Aitken (Langside), since 2017
- Moray: Graham Leadbitter (Elgin South), since 2018
- Renfrewshire: Iain Nicolson (Erskine and Inchinnan), since 2017
- South Ayrshire: Douglas Campbell (Ayr North), since 2017
- South Lanarkshire: John Ross (Hamilton South), since 2017
- Stirling: Scott Farmer (Stirling West), since 2017
- West Dunbartonshire: Jonathon McColl (Lomond), since 2017
Scottish Parliament
Members of the Scottish Parliament
The SNP has formed the Scottish Government since 2007. As of May 2024[update], the Cabinet of the Scottish Government is as follows:
Portfolio | Portrait | Minister | Term |
---|---|---|---|
Cabinet secretaries | |||
First Minister | John Swinney MSP | May 2024 – present | |
Deputy First Minister | Kate Forbes MSP | May 2024 – present | |
Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic | |||
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government | Shona Robison MSP | May 2024 – present[a] | |
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care | Neil Gray MSP | February 2024 – present[b] | |
Cabinet Secretary for Transport | Fiona Hyslop MSP | February 2024 – present | |
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy | Màiri McAllan MSP | February 2024 – present[c] | |
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills | Jenny Gilruth MSP | 2023 – present | |
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands | Mairi Gougeon MSP | 2021 – present | |
Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture | The Rt Hon Angus Robertson MSP | 2021 – present | |
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice | Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP | 2023 – present | |
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs | Angela Constance MSP | 2023 – present |
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Members of Parliament
Following the 2024 general election, the SNP holds nine seats in the House of Commons. The SNP frontbench team in the House of Commons is as follows.
Portfolio | Spokesperson | |
---|---|---|
Group Leader | Stephen Flynn MP | |
Deputy Leader | Pete Wishart MP | |
Chief Whip | Kirsty Blackman MP |
Local government
Councillors
The SNP had 453 councillors in local government elected from the 2022 Scottish local elections.
Electoral performance
Scottish Parliament
Election[220] | Leader | Constituency | Regional | Total seats | +/– | Pos. | Government | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vote | % | Seats | Vote | % | Seats | ||||||
1999 | Alex Salmond | 672,768 | 28.7 | 7 / 73
|
638,644 | 27.3 | 28 / 56
|
35 / 129
|
2nd | Opposition | |
2003 | John Swinney | 455,722 | 23.7 | 9 / 73
|
399,659 | 20.9 | 18 / 56
|
27 / 129
|
8 | 2nd | Opposition |
2007 | Alex Salmond | 664,227 | 32.9 | 21 / 73
|
633,611 | 31.0 | 26 / 56
|
47 / 129
|
20 | 1st | Minority |
2011 | 902,915 | 45.4 | 53 / 73
|
876,421 | 44.0 | 16 / 56
|
69 / 129
|
22 | 1st | Majority | |
2016 | Nicola Sturgeon | 1,059,898 | 46.5 | 59 / 73
|
953,587 | 41.7 | 4 / 56
|
63 / 129
|
6 | 1st | Minority |
2021 | 1,291,204 | 47.7 | 62 / 73
|
1,094,374 | 40.3 | 2 / 56
|
64 / 129
|
1 | 1st | Minority |
House of Commons
Election[220] | Leader | Scotland | +/– | Position | Government | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Seats | ||||||
1935 | Alexander MacEwen | 29,517 | 1.1 | 0 / 71
|
— | |||
1945 | Douglas Young | 26,707 | 1.2 | 0 / 71
|
— | |||
1950 | Robert McIntyre | 9,708 | 0.4 | 0 / 71
|
— | |||
1951 | 7,299 | 0.3 | 0 / 71
|
— | ||||
1955 | 12,112 | 0.5 | 0 / 71
|
— | ||||
1959 | Jimmy Halliday | 21,738 | 0.5 | 0 / 71
|
— | |||
1964 | Arthur Donaldson | 64,044 | 2.4 | 0 / 71
|
— | |||
1966 | 128,474 | 5.0 | 0 / 71
|
— | ||||
1970 | William Wolfe | 306,802 | 11.4 | 1 / 71
|
1 | 4th | 5th | Opposition |
Feb 1974 | 633,180 | 21.9 | 7 / 71
|
6 | 3rd | 4th | Opposition | |
Oct 1974 | 839,617 | 30.4 | 11 / 71
|
4 | 3rd | 4th | Opposition | |
1979 | 504,259 | 17.3 | 2 / 71
|
9 | 4th | 6th | Opposition | |
1983 | Gordon Wilson | 331,975 | 11.7 | 2 / 72
|
5th | 7th | Opposition | |
1987 | 416,473 | 14.0 | 3 / 72
|
1 | 4th | 5th | Opposition | |
1992 | Alex Salmond | 629,564 | 21.5 | 3 / 72
|
4th | 7th | Opposition | |
1997 | 621,550 | 22.1 | 6 / 72
|
3 | 3rd | 5th | Opposition | |
2001 | John Swinney | 464,314 | 20.1 | 5 / 72
|
1 | 3rd | 5th | Opposition |
2005 | Alex Salmond | 412,267 | 17.7 | 6 / 59
|
1 | 3rd | 5th | Opposition |
2010 | 491,386 | 19.9 | 6 / 59
|
3rd | 5th | Opposition | ||
2015 | Nicola Sturgeon | 1,454,436 | 50.0 | 56 / 59
|
50 | 1st | 3rd | Opposition |
2017 | 977,568 | 36.9 | 35 / 59
|
21 | 1st | 3rd | Opposition | |
2019 | 1,242,380 | 45.0 | 48 / 59
|
13 | 1st | 3rd | Opposition | |
2024 | John Swinney | 724,758 | 30.0 | 9 / 57
|
39 | 2nd | 4th | Opposition |
Local councils
Election[220] | Votes | Seats | +/– | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | Pos. | ||||
1995 | 26.1 | 2nd | 181 / 1,222
|
||
1999 | 28.9 | 2nd | 201 / 1,222
|
20 | |
2003 | 24.1 | 2nd | 171 / 1,222
|
30 | |
2007 | 29.7 | 1st | 363 / 1,222
|
192 | Single transferable vote introduced. |
2012 | 32.3 | 1st | 425 / 1,223
|
62 | |
2017 | 32.3 | 1st | 431 / 1,227
|
6 | |
2022 | 34.1 | 1st | 453 / 1,226
|
22 |
Results by council (2022)
Council | Votes[221] | Seats | Administration | |
---|---|---|---|---|
% | Pos. | |||
Aberdeen City | 35.0 | 1st | 20 / 45
|
SNP–Lib Dem |
Aberdeenshire | 30.8 | 2nd | 21 / 70
|
Opposition |
Angus | 38.3 | 1st | 13 / 28
|
SNP–Independent |
Argyll and Bute | 31.0 | 1st | 12 / 36
|
Opposition |
Clackmannanshire | 39.4 | 1st | 9 / 18
|
Minority |
Dumfries and Galloway | 28.2 | 2nd | 11 / 43
|
SNP–Labour |
Dundee City | 41.4 | 1st | 15 / 29
|
Majority |
East Ayrshire | 37.9 | 1st | 14 / 32
|
Minority |
East Dunbartonshire | 30.4 | 1st | 8 / 22
|
Minority |
East Lothian | 28.2 | 2nd | 7 / 22
|
Opposition |
East Renfrewshire | 28.6 | 1st | 6 / 18
|
Opposition |
City of Edinburgh | 25.9 | 1st | 19 / 63
|
Opposition |
Falkirk | 39.7 | 1st | 12 / 30
|
Minority |
Fife | 36.9 | 1st | 34 / 75
|
Opposition |
Glasgow City | 35.5 | 1st | 37 / 85
|
Minority |
Highland | 30.1 | 1st | 22 / 74
|
SNP–Independent |
Inverclyde | 37.7 | 2nd | 8 / 22
|
Opposition |
Midlothian | 37.6 | 1st | 8 / 18
|
Minority |
Moray | 36.0 | 2nd | 8 / 26
|
Opposition |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | 21.3 | 2nd | 6 / 29
|
Opposition |
North Ayrshire | 36.3 | 1st | 12 / 33
|
Minority |
North Lanarkshire | 43.6 | 1st | 36 / 77
|
Opposition |
Orkney | 0.0 | 3rd | 0 / 21
|
Opposition |
Perth and Kinross | 36.6 | 1st | 16 / 40
|
Minority |
Renfrewshire | 41.7 | 1st | 21 / 43
|
Minority |
Scottish Borders | 21.0 | 2nd | 9 / 34
|
Opposition |
Shetland | 4.4 | 3rd | 1 / 23
|
Opposition |
South Ayrshire | 33.4 | 2nd | 9 / 28
|
Opposition |
South Lanarkshire | 36.9 | 1st | 27 / 64
|
Opposition |
Stirling | 33.3 | 1st | 8 / 23
|
Opposition |
West Dunbartonshire | 42.5 | 2nd | 9 / 22
|
Opposition |
West Lothian | 37.9 | 1st | 15 / 33
|
Opposition |
European Parliament (1979–2020)
Election[220] | Group | Votes | Seats | +/– | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | Pos. | |||||||
1979 | EPD | 19.4 | 3rd | 1 / 8
|
||||
1984 | EDA | 17.8 | 3rd | 1 / 8
|
||||
1989 | RBW | 25.6 | 2nd | 1 / 8
|
||||
1994 | ERA | 32.6 | 2nd | 2 / 8
|
1 | |||
1999 | G-EFA | 27.2 | 2nd | 2 / 8
|
Proportional representation introduced. | |||
2004 | 19.7 | 2nd | 2 / 7
|
|||||
2009 | 29.1 | 1st | 2 / 6
|
|||||
2014 | 29.0 | 1st | 2 / 6
|
|||||
2019 | 37.8 | 1st | 3 / 6
|
1 | Last European election before Brexit. |
Two-tier local councils (1975–1996)
District Councils | Regional and Island Councils | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Election[220] | Votes | Seats | Councils | Election[220] | Votes | Seats | Councils | ||
% | Pos. | % | Pos. | ||||||
1974 | 12.4 | 3rd | 62 / 1,158
|
1 / 53
|
1974 | 12.6 | 3rd | 18 / 524
|
0 / 12
|
1977 | 24.2 | 3rd | 170 / 1,158
|
5 / 53
|
1978 | 20.9 | 3rd | 18 / 524
|
0 / 12
|
1980 | 15.5 | 3rd | 54 / 1,158
|
0 / 53
|
1982 | 13.4 | 4th | 23 / 524
|
0 / 12
|
1984 | 11.7 | 4th | 59 / 1,158
|
1 / 53
|
1986 | 18.2 | 4th | 36 / 524
|
0 / 12
|
1988 | 21.3 | 3rd | 113 / 1,158
|
1 / 53
|
1990 | 21.8 | 3rd | 42 / 524
|
0 / 12
|
1992 | 24.3 | 3rd | 150 / 1,158
|
1 / 53
|
1994 | 26.8 | 2nd | 73 / 453
|
0 / 12
|
See also
- Bo'ness Branch SNP
- Culture of Scotland
- Politics of Scotland
- Scottish devolution
- It's Scotland's oil
- Radio Free Scotland
- Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
- The National (Scotland)
Notes
- ^ Robison previously held the Finance portfolio since March 2023 but gained the additional portfolio of Local Government in May 2024
- ^ Portfolio was titled Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care until 8 May 2024
- ^ McAllan had additional responsibility for the Economy until this was shuffled to Kate Forbes on 8 May 2024
References
- ^ "Michael Russell steps down as SNP president". BBC News. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b c Paterson, Kirsteen (9 February 2024). "Exclusive: SNP membership numbers fall again, new figures reveal". Holyrood Magazine. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ Hassan, Gerry (2009), The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 5, 9
- ^ Harvie, Christopher (12 August 2004). Scotland and Nationalism: Scottish Society and Politics, 1707 to the Present. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780203358658. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Scottish National Party | History, Policy, & Leader". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ "Will there be another independence referendum?". 25 November 2015. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ [3][4][5][6]
- ^ How can the SNP support membership of the EU alongside independence?, 7 June 2016, archived from the original on 21 March 2021, retrieved 26 October 2020
- ^ Eichhorn, Jan (29 March 2023). "Rocky roads ahead for Scotland's largest party". International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society. Edinburgh.
The election of Humza Yousaf to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the centre-left, social democratic Scottish National Party (SNP) is a major change in Scotland's political landscape.
- ^ Gibb, Kenneth (2021). "Divergent approaches to affordable housing supply in a devolved policy system: Scotland and England after 2010". International Journal of Urban Sciences. 25 (1). Informa UK Limited: 220. doi:10.1080/12265934.2020.1730935.
The paper examines the period after the financial crisis and recession of 2007–2009, since this led to the austerity coalition UK government led by David Cameron (2010–2015), as set against the distinctively social democratic, Scottish National Party (SNP) Government in minority government from 2007 to 2011 and then majority government from 2011 to 2016.
- ^ Hepburn, Eve (17 June 2016). New Challenges for Stateless Nationalist and Regionalist Parties. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-96596-1. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ Lingard, Bob (6 August 2013). Politics, Policies and Pedagogies in Education: The Selected Works of Bob Lingard. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-01998-3. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ [9][10][11][12]
- ^ a b Schrijver, Frans (2006). Regionalism After Regionalisation: Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Amsterdam University Press. pp. 261–290. ISBN 978-90-5629-428-1. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2006.
- ^ Bennie, Lynn (2017). "The Scottish National Party: Nationalism for the many". In Mazzoleni, Oscar; Mueller, Sean (eds.). Regionalist Parties in Western Europe: Dimensions of Success. University of Aberdeen. pp. 22–41. ISBN 978-1-317-06895-2. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ [14][15]
- ^ a b Mitchell, James; Bennie, Lynn; Johns, Rob (2012), The Scottish National Party: Transition to Power, Oxford University Press, pp. 107–116
- ^ a b Keating, Michael (2009), "Nationalist Movements in Comparative Perspective", The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 214–217
- ^ [17][18]
- ^ "Anti-Brexit feeling expected to help SNP in European elections". The Guardian. 15 May 2019. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ Colomer, Josep M. (July 2008). Political Institutions in Europe. psychology press. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-134-07354-2. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ Scotland Business Law Handbook: Strategic Information and Laws. International Business Publications, USA, 2015. 1 January 2012. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4387-7095-6. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ [21][22]
- ^ Holder, Geoff. "10 things you should know about Robert Burns". The History Press. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ McIntosh, Lindsay (15 October 2016). "The Scottish parliament is not just a 'blip'". The Times. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ "Current party balance". The Scottish Parliament. parliament.scot. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Local Council Political Compositions". Open Council Date UK. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ O'Neill, Michael (22 May 2014). Devolution and British Politics. Routledge. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-317-87365-5. Archived from the original on 4 May 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ Gallardo, Cristina (27 November 2019). "Scottish National Party's manifesto explained". Politico. London. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
The SNP wants Scotland to become an independent country and stay in the European Union.
- ^ Heisey, Monica. "Making the case for an "aye" in Scotland". Alumni Review. Queen's University. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (11 May 2011). "MSPs sworn in at Holyrood after SNP landslide". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ "SNP wipeout Labour across Scotland with record election results". The Telegraph. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "House of Lords should be scrapped, says SNP". BBC News. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ Dinwoodie, Robbie (7 April 2014). "From radicals and Tartan Tories to the party of government". The Herald. Glasgow. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ^ Mitchell, James; Hassan, Gerry (2016). Scottish National Party Leaders. London: Biteback. ISBN 978-1-7859-0092-1.
- ^ "Parliamentary Career for Margo Macdonald - MPs and Lords". UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Dilemmas of Over-Development: Scottish Nationalism and the Future of the Union". Versobooks.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ Faux, Ronald (4 May 1977). "Labour lose control of Glasgow". The Times, p. 1.
- ^ "Scottish Referendums". www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/politics97/background/pastelec/ge79.shtml%7Ctitle=BBC Politics Summaries – Background to the Vote of No Confidence
- ^ BBC Politics Summaries – Background to the Vote of No Confidence
- ^ "SNP MP criticised for defending party's role in bringing Thatcher to power". 25 July 2018. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "The Scottish National Party at 80". BBC News. 11 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ^ "Ex-MP: Scotland 'in trouble' if lax on constitution – The Targe". thetarge.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Former MP Dick Douglas dies aged 82". BBC News. 13 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Politics: Anti-bombing Salmond hits an all-time low with voters". The Independent. 13 April 1999. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ Britten, Nick (17 July 2000). "Scramble to lead SNP as Salmond quits". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Emphatic SNP win for Swinney". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "McLeish steps down". 8 November 2001. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Our Place in the World: Independence and Scotland's Future". Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ "Scottish Independence". Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
- ^ "Euro poll was breaking point for Swinney". The Scotsman. 23 June 2004. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Salmond named as new SNP leader". 3 September 2004. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "SNP and Greens sign working deal". BBC News Scotland. 11 May 2007. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ Taylor, Brian (23 January 2020). "Could the SNP do a budget deal with the Tories?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Glasgow East result in full". 25 July 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ "SNP wins majority in Scottish elections". Channel 4. 6 May 2011. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
- ^ "Our Party". The SNP. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "SNP votes to end anti-Nato policy". BBC News. 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ Dailyrecord.co.uk (19 February 2008). "Demand For Alex Salmond Apology Over Kosovo". dailyrecord. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ Carrell, Severin; Wintour, Patrick; Mason, Rowena (19 September 2014). "Alex Salmond resigns as first minister after Scotland rejects independence". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ "How Scotland voted, and why - Lord Ashcroft Polls". 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Scotland's Decision: So Who Voted Yes and Who Voted No?". Centre on Constitutional Change. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Election 2015: SNP wins 56 of 59 seats in Scots landslide". BBC News. 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ "Local elections: Sturgeon plays down Tory success in Scotland". The Guardian. Press Association. 6 May 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Labour loses control of Glasgow City Council for the first time in 40 years". The Independent. 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Simon; Henderson, Barney (8 June 2017). "Scotland election results: Alex Salmond defeated and SNP suffer huge losses as Tory chances boosted north of the border". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "General election 2017: SNP lose a third of seats amid Tory surge". BBC News. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ Thomas, Natalie; Dickie, Mure (8 June 2017). "Scottish election results strike blow to SNP plans for IndyRef2". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ "General election 2017: SNP lose a third of seats amid Tory surge". BBC. 9 June 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018.
- ^ "SNP wins election landslide in Scotland". BBC News. 13 December 2019. Archived from the original on 7 February 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "Scottish Parliament election 2021". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ "SNP-Greens deal pledges indyref2 within five years". BBC News. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ Macaskill, Mark (8 May 2022). "SNP £600,000 fundraising fraud allegations 'may have substance'". The Times.
- ^ Sim, Philip (9 May 2022). "The numbers behind Scotland's council election results". BBC News. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "End of an era as Nicola Sturgeon waves farewell". BBC News. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "SNP chief executive Peter Murrell resigns over membership row". 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon resigns: SNP to announce new leader on 27 March as Swinney rules himself out". BBC News. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "New SNP leader to be revealed March 27 following resignation of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon". LBC. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "The SNP leadership race's contenders to replace Nicola Sturgeon: Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf". Sky News. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "SNP leadership hustings: Candidates split on gender reform legal challenge". Holyrood Website. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon leaves with Scotland split in two". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ "Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership - A fresh start". www.gov.scot. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Murray Foote appointed as new SNP chief executive". BBC News. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "SNP MP Lisa Cameron defects to the Conservatives, citing 'toxic and bullying' culture". Politics.co.uk. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ Gordon, Tom (13 October 2023). "Lisa Cameron's defection has deeper roots than deselection threat". The Herald. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "Explained in five minutes: The independence strategy adopted at the SNP conference". The Herald. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Humza Yousaf signals change in independence strategy". BBC News. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (17 October 2023). "Scottish council tax to be frozen next year, Humza Yousaf tells SNP conference". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ Mnyanda, Lukanyo (17 October 2023). "Scotland to issue bonds for the first time, says SNP's Humza Yousaf". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ Meighan, Craig (17 October 2023). "Humza Yousaf to pledge £300m for Scotland's NHS to cut waiting lists". STV News. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ Meighan, Craig (25 April 2024). "SNP breaks off power-share agreement with Scottish Greens". STV News. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Scottish Greens to vote on SNP power-sharing agreement after climate target ditched". BBC News. 19 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ Smout, Alistair; Bruce, Andy. "Humza Yousaf quits as Scotland's first minister in boost to Labour's chances in UK vote". Reuters. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell arrested in SNP finance probe". BBC News. 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Colin Beattie: Police arrest SNP treasurer in finance probe". BBC News. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (5 April 2023). "Nicola Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, arrested in SNP funding inquiry". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ Breaking, BBC (5 April 2023). "Sturgeon's husband arrested in SNP finance probe". BBC News. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "MP Stuart McDonald replaces Colin Beattie as SNP treasurer". TheGuardian.com. 22 April 2023.
- ^ Green, Chris (11 April 2023). "SNP auditors quit months before Sturgeon resignation and her husband's arrest, Yousaf reveals". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "SNP appoints new auditor as deadline looms for filing accounts". BBC News. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ "Auditors find records of SNP cash and cheques 'not kept by the party'". 30 June 2023.
- ^ "SNP auditor flags missing documents as party approves accounts". 30 June 2023.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon still being investigated over missing SNP funds". The Times. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Peter Murrell charged with embezzlement in SNP probe". BBC News. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "John Swinney wins SNP leadership unopposed". BBC News. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "John Swinney looks set to be first minister as Kate Forbes backs him". BBC News. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "John Swinney to become SNP leader after challenger drops out". BBC News. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Brooks, Libby (21 June 2024). "SNP investigated over claim funds misused to support general election candidates". Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ Williams, Craig (23 June 2024). "Swinney: Parliament stamps not used for campaign". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ Culbertson, Alix (5 July 2024). "SNP leader says 'soul searching' needed as Labour win big in Scotland". Sky News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (22 September 2014). "SNP poised to become one of UK's largest political parties". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ Morris, Bridget (23 July 2016). "120,000: SNP membership hits record level after post-Brexit surge". The National. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ Gordon, Tom (22 March 2015). "SNP boost as membership soars past 100k mark". The Herald. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ Matchett, Conor (26 August 2021). "SNP spent £615,000 on office refit, annual accounts confirm". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ "Annual Accounts 2021", The Electoral Commission, 30 June 2022, retrieved 17 August 2022
- ^ Robertson, Adam (24 April 2023). "SNP membership figures up by thousands since start of March, party says". The National. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- ^ "SNP MEP elected president of key European Parliament group". The National. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "Who we are". Greens/EFA. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "Résultats élections européennes 1979". www.europe-politique.eu. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Peter Lynch (2002). SNP: The History of the Scottish National Party. Welsh Academic Press.
- ^ a b c Jack Brand (1978). The National Movement in Scotland. Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 216–17.
- ^ Jack Brand (1990). 'Scotland', in Watson, Michael (ed.), Contemporary Minority Nationalism. Routledge. p. 28.
- ^ Gerry Hassan (2009). The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power. Edinburgh University Press. p. 120.
- ^ Jack Brand (1990). 'Scotland', in Watson, Michael (ed.), Contemporary Minority Nationalism. Routledge. p. 32.
- ^ a b James Mitchell (1996). Strategies for Self-government: The Campaigns for a Scottish Parliament. Polygon. p. 208.
- ^ James Mitchell (1996). Strategies for Self-government: The Campaigns for a Scottish Parliament. Polygon. p. 194.
- ^ Jack Brand (1990). 'Scotland', in Watson, Michael (ed.), Contemporary Minority Nationalism. Routledge. p. 27.
- ^ Gerry Hassan (2009). The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power. Edinburgh University Press. p. 121.
- ^ Eve Hepburn (18 October 2013). New Challenges for Stateless Nationalist and Regionalist Parties. Routledge. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-317-96596-1. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ Devenney, Andrew D. (2008). "Regional Resistance to European Integration: The Case of the Scottish National Party, 1961–1972". Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung. 33 (3 (125)): 319–345. ISSN 0172-6404. JSTOR 20762312.
- ^ Ley, Shaun (18 August 2016). "The dilemma facing Scotland's Eurosceptic nationalists". Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "Scottish income tax changes unveiled". BBC News. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "New property tax comes into effect". BBC News. 1 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (11 February 2009). "Alex Salmond drops flat-rate local income tax plan". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon confirms end to council tax freeze as those living in more expensive homes face higher bills". Holyrood Website. 3 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "MSPs vote to raise council tax bands". BBC News. 3 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Scottish business rate reforms confirmed". BBC News. 12 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ a b Millar, James (16 March 2017). "5 of the biggest splits behind the SNP's disciplined facade". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Millar, James (13 October 2016). "The SNP can't mask its left-right split forever". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Homosexual Offences". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. 22 July 1980. col. 321.
- ^ Ethical Standards in Public Life etc (Scotland) Bill (Report). Scotland: Scottish Parliament. 31 August 2000.
- ^ "Gay marriage to be introduced in Scotland". BBC News. 25 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ Dinwoodie, Robbie (31 August 2013). "Same-sex marriage Bill to be fast-tracked through Holyrood". The Herald. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ Littauer, Dan (4 February 2014). "Scotland legalizes same-sex marriage". LGBTQNation. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Scotland tops Europe for LGBTI equality and human rights". The Scotsman. 10 May 2016. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ a b c MacNicol, David (27 July 2017). "Illegal to be gay – Scotland's history". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Torrance, David (5 April 2016). "The tartan rainbow: Why it's great to be gay in Scotland". TheGuardian.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Brooks, Libby (14 October 2019). "Several women 'close to quitting SNP over gender recognition plans'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Forrest, Adam (10 February 2021). "Joanna Cherry accuses SNP colleagues of 'performative histrionics' over transgender issue". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ Wade, Mike (22 October 2020). "Anger over trans woman on all-female SNP shortlist". Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via The Times.
- ^ Sanderson, Daniel (1 February 2021). "SNP civil war deepens as leading Sturgeon critic Joanna Cherry purged from Westminster team". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Why has the SNP been accused of 'transphobic views' - and who is Teddy Hope?". www.scotsman.com. February 2021. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon says transphobia in SNP 'not acceptable'". BBC News. 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon: transphobia in SNP is 'not acceptable' – video". The Guardian. 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) [Draft] Meeting date: Thursday, December 22, 2022". Scottish Parliament. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Brooks, Libby (21 November 2014). "Nicola Sturgeon announces Scottish cabinet with equal gender balance". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Webster, Catriona (8 March 2018). "Nicola Sturgeon marks International Women's day by launching search for new woman to mentor". The Sunday Post. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "The SNP are right to adopt all women shortlists". Bella Caledonia. 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "The Scottish National Party Is Espousing A Multicultural Brand of Nationalism". NPR. NPR. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Fifth of UK's Syrian refugees in Scotland". BBC News. 16 March 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Syrian refugees in Scotland 'much happier' than those in England". The Scotsman. 26 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "SNP demand immigration powers as population growth stutters". The Herald. Glasgow. 21 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Vevers, Dan (27 January 2020). "Sturgeon unveils proposals for new 'Scottish visa'". STV News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Immigration minister's claims about refugees in Scotland need clarification". Full Fact. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Nato is the way forward, not Dad's Army neutrality". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "SNP votes to end anti-Nato policy". BBC News. 19 October 2012. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Hyland, Julie (1 April 1999). "Scottish National Party leader criticises NATO bombing of Serbia". wsws.org. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Holyrood has its say on Iraq". 16 January 2003. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Riley-Smith, Ben (8 June 2015). "How Nicola Sturgeon plans to win over America". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (12 November 2019). "Trump firm settles legal bill over Scottish windfarm dispute". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Scotland backs Remain as UK votes Leave". BBC News. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Dickie, Mure; Payne, Sebastian (11 October 2019). "SNP tries to force Labour to support second independence referendum". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon calls for Scottish veto on EU referendum". The Guardian. 29 October 2014. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ Hughes, Kirsty. "An independent Scotland in Europe?". Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "SNP MP Stewart McDonald wins highest state order from Ukraine". The National. 26 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ Leask, David (18 February 2020). "How Russia Is Prodding Scotland Toward Independence". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
- ^ "SNP MP calls for action against Russia". BBC News. 6 September 2018. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Russian propaganda: 'A multitude of lies and absurd news'". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Ruddick, Graham; Brooks, Libby (10 November 2017). "Alex Salmond criticised over new talk show for Russian broadcaster RT". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ MP, Stewart McDonald (11 December 2018). "Five years ago today the Yanukovych government of Ukraine opened fire on pro-European protesters in Maidan Square, Kyiv. 100 Ukrainians – the 'heavenly hundred' – would be killed because they joined a protest that wanted their government to work towards EU membership #Euromaidanpic.twitter.com/Nbo3wZurgc". @StewartMcDonald. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Where does Scotland's foreign aid go?". The Scotsman. 10 March 2016. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Macdonell, Hamish. "Charities helped by Scotland must be scrutinised". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Chiara Cotronei: Scotland-Malawi partnership means finding long-term solutions together". The Scotsman. 23 May 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Hunter, Catherine (15 January 2020). "Almost £270k of Glasgow taxpayers' money spent on Council hotel stays in three years". glasgowlive. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "SNP promise to protect NHS from privatisation in its election manifesto". The Parliamentary Review. 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Baby boxes accepted by 85% of parents". BBC News. 15 August 2018. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Free school meals for young pupils". BBC News. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Tibbetts, Graham (2 September 2008). "Hospital parking charges scrapped in Scotland". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Scots prescription fees abolished". BBC News. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Scotland calls time on cheap booze". BBC News. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Yeginsu, Ceylan (27 February 2020). "Scotland Set to Be First Country to Provide Free Pads and Tampons". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "SNP formally backs decriminalisation of drugs". BBC News. 13 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Scottish Government accused of 'slashing' budget for drug and alcohol partnerships". www.scotsman.com. 17 July 2019. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Scotland's drug deaths rise to new record". BBC News. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ Scott, Kirsty (25 March 2008). "Scottish fees abolished". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Simon (January 2020). "SNP cap on university places attacked after more than 14,000 Scots miss out". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022.
- ^ "'˜Decade of SNP cuts' has cost colleges about £1 billion, say Labour". 27 December 2018.
- ^ "Widening Access Commissioner 'within weeks' as Education 'tops priorities' in SNP's programme for government". Holyrood Website. 4 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ McIvor, Jamie (5 September 2017). "Education remains number one priority". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "OECD to lead review on Curriculum of Excellence". The National. 6 February 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Scottish Qualifications Authority to be scrapped after OECD review". BBC News. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ "Scottish education performance falling, says study". BBC News. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Scotland votes 'No' to independence". BBC News. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon calls for patience over indyref2". BBC News. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon rules out Catalan-style rogue independence referendum". Politics Home. 25 February 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "Smith Commission: SNP 'will argue for more powers'". The Scotsman. 2 December 2014. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Meighan, Craig (4 May 2023). "It will feel 'strange' attending coronation as a republican, Yousaf says". STV News. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon has first audience with the Queen". BBC News. 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Nicola Sturgeon says 'there is a debate to be had' on the future of the monarchy". inews.co.uk. 29 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ "The SNP would vote for proportional representation at Westminster, Nicola Sturgeon confirms". The Independent. 4 May 2015. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Drummond, John (21 June 2012). "Scottish National party must 'grasp thistle' of a written constitution before referendum". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (16 June 2014). "SNP publishes draft of first constitution for an independent Scotland". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ Seenan, Gerard; MacAskill, Ewen (6 May 1999). "SNP's radical wing threatens to split party". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "Scottish Highland Photo Archive – Image Detail". scottishhighlanderphotoarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "HISTORY OF THE SNP | Aberdeen SNP". aberdeensnp.org. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Swinney shuns spin in party posts". HeraldScotland. 4 October 2001. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Investigation: Inside the SNP money machine". 6 August 2023.
- ^ "Murray Foote appointed as new SNP chief executive". BBC News. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Scottish National Party". Historylearningsite.co.uk. 30 March 2007. Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
- ^ "2022 Local Elections". Ballot Box Scotland. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
Further reading
- Brand, Jack, The National Movement in Scotland, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1978
- Brand, Jack, 'Scotland', in Watson, Michael (ed.), Contemporary Minority Nationalism, Routledge, 1990
- Winnie Ewing, Michael Russell, Stop the World; The Autobiography of Winnie Ewing Birlinn, 2004
- Richard J. Finlay, Independent and Free: Scottish Politics and the Origins of the Scottish National Party 1918–1945, John Donald Publishers, 1994
- Hanham, H.J., Scottish Nationalism, Harvard University Press, 1969
- Christopher Harvie, Scotland and Nationalism: Scottish Society and Politics 1707 to the Present, Routledge (4th edition), 2004
- Gerry Hassan (ed.), The Modern SNP: From Protest to Power, Edinburgh University Press, 2009, ISBN 0748639918
- Lynch, Peter, SNP: The History of the Scottish National Party, Welsh Academic Press, 2002
- John MacCormick, The Flag in the Wind: The Story of the National Movement in Scotland, Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1955
- Mitchell, James, Strategies for Self-government: The Campaigns for a Scottish Parliament, Polygon, 1996
- Mitchell, James, Bennie, Lynn and Johns, Rob, The Scottish National Party: Transition to Power, Oxford University Press, 2011, ISBN 0199580006
- Mitchell, James and Hassan, Gerry (eds), Scottish National Party Leaders, Biteback, 2016.
- Jim Sillars, Scotland: the Case for Optimism, Polygon, 1986
- William Wolfe, Scotland Lives: the Quest for Independence, Reprographia, 1973
External links
- Scottish National Party – Official website
- Scottish National Party
- 1934 establishments in Scotland
- Centre-left parties in the United Kingdom
- Constitution of the United Kingdom
- European Free Alliance
- Nationalist parties in the United Kingdom
- Organisations based in Edinburgh
- Political parties established in 1934
- Scottish independence
- Social democratic parties
- Social democratic parties in the United Kingdom
- Political parties of minorities in United Kingdom