Labour in a “cold climate”: devolution, unionism and the Scottish Labour party

Abstract

The downward spiral of Scottish Labour’s electoral scores since the introduction of devolution to Scotland has led to a long period of soul-searching as it has questioned its organisation, ideology and identity. An array of factors has played into the electoral demise of the Scottish Labour party and its troubles have not been entirely disconnected from the broader difficulties experienced by Labour on the wider British political scene. Remarkably, it has been victim to the singularities of Scotland’s post-devolution political landscape and the increasingly compelling force of Scottish nationalism. This article shall thus contend that Scottish Labour failed to carve out a clear Scottish identity for itself and adapt to the challenges posed by devolution. Its analysis shall first consider the structural reasons for Labour’s decline in Scotland, before appraising the impact of devolution on the Scottish Labour party and arguing that Labour’s ambivalent approach to both Scottish independence and Brexit – key issues associated with the defence of Scottish interests by the electorate on both ends of the spectrum – has hurt the party’s ability to attract support.