Political expression of regional identity in Scotland and Wales: The effects of European integration

This project seeks to explain changes in political expression of regional identity in Scotland and Wales, with particular emphasis on the impact of European integration. The dependent variable, "expression of regional identity," defined as the manner in which a sense of regional distinctiveness manifests itself in political actions and preferences, is operationalized through four distinct measures examined between 1970 and 2000: (1) percent of regional support for Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru; (2) percent of regional support for Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly; (3) percent of regional support for Scottish and Welsh independence; (4) percent of electoral self-identification as Scottish or Welsh. The working hypothesis is that increases in political expression of regional identity have been facilitated, directly and indirectly, by European integration. By changing the existing set of constraints and opportunities that previously defined the limits of regional expression, European integration has changed the context within which political debates about regional autonomy take place. The result has been a more favorable attitude among regional elites and regional masses toward regional autonomy, presented here as increases in political expression of regional identity. Analysis of voting results and public opinion data confirm increases in political expression of regional identity in Scotland and Wales that coincide with "Independence in Europe" campaigns and increases in support for European integration. Domestic disputes between regions and the state are not discounted, but are projected against the backdrop of European integration as an increasingly important variable in the quest for regional autonomy.