The Scottish lobby in contemporary Britain: Devolution and European integration

This dissertation examines the dual pressures of British devolution and European integration, and how interest groups in Scotland are reacting to the constitutional changes now being implemented in the United Kingdom. At first glance, Scottish devolution and increased European integration for Britain would appear to be driving political and administrative power in opposite directions, since devolution calls for the decentralization of power to the newly established Scottish Parliament and Executive, and political integration within Europe calls for the movement of power from the British government to the institutions of the European Union. However, this thesis argues that devolution and European integration are intricately interrelated, and that Scottish pressure groups are utilizing both phenomena in order to 'make representations' for their respective interests. Utilizing case-studies collected from field interviews conducted in 1999, this research examines Scottish interests as they relate to the British government and the European Union in the 'post-Amsterdam Treaty' era. In turn, this thesis examines Scotland as (1) an autonomous actor within the European Union; (2) a subnational actor (as a political subunit of Great Britain) within the European Union; and (3) a region alongside the British state that are components of a greater supranational European Union. Scotland's relationship to the UK and the European Union takes on many identities, but its newfound power as a devolving political entity within the United Kingdom has helped Scottish interests gain greater access and legitimacy in both Brussels and London.