The Scottish National Party: Nationalism for the Many

Few would contest the characterisation of the SNP as a successful regionalist party. It has enjoyed considerable electoral success in recent decades, has gained office, and can point to actual policy output. In many ways, the SNP typifies the trajectory of regionalist party success outlined in the introduction to this volume, where electoral success is logically prior to office and policy success. The SNP claims to have achieved two types of policy success. The first involves strengthening the Scottish Parliament’s powers; the second involves using these powers to affect public policy change. For some, the extent of policy change has been a disappointment. Like many regionalist and nationalist parties, the SNP has evolved ideologically, programmatically, strategically and organisationally. This chapter aims to document the changing experiences and characteristics of the SNP and to examine its policies as a party of government. What has the party achieved with power?