Small worlds and local heroes : the 1987 General Election in Scotland

Abstract

ABSTRACT Two myths about Scottish politics have become deeply entrenched. One is of Scotland as a monolithic stronghold of the Labour Party; the other is ofthe Scottish National Party (SNP) as a potentially Scotland-wide party. These myths are dispelled in a geographical analysis of the 1987 General Election in Scotland and of changes since the 1983 General Election. An argument is made for the crucial role of localsocial contexts or places in determining electoral outcomes. More specifically, the appeal of the Labour Party and the SNP is seen as restricted largely to certain types of place where “small worlds and local heroes” allow them to succeed. Geographical analysis, therefore, reveals a different Scottish politics from that foundin most contemporary commentaries by journalists and political scientists.