The Oxford Handbook of Scottish Politics

Politics in Scotland has changed massively in recent decades. Since 1999, there has been a devolved Parliament and Government. Scotland is of interest, not because of some essential difference from England but as a European nation, with its own history and society, within the larger union of the United Kingdom. Devolution, once a contested issue, is now broadly accepted. Since devolution, the party system and voting patterns have changed. Scotland’s capacity to make its own public policy has grown. The constitutional issue was not resolved in the Independence Referendum of 2014 and has entered a new phase with Brexit.