Settled will or divided society? Voting in the 1997 Scottish and Welsh devolution referendums

Abstract

At least partly because they appear to undermine the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, referendums have been rare events in the United Kingdom. The only UK-wide referendum was in 1975 (on membership of the European Community) and before 1997 there had been only three other significant sub-national referendums - in Northern Ireland (1973) and in Scotland and Wales on proposals for devolution (1979). The election of a Labour government in 1997 has resulted in a revival of interest in the device, however, and during the first 12 months of the new parliament there were four significant referendums - on a devolved parliament for Scotland, a representative assembly for Wales, the peace proposals and a parliament for Northern Ireland, and the government of London. Further referendums have been mooted on electoral reform, membership of the European single currency, and devolution to the English regions.