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Party Competition in Post-devolution Scotland

Wright, Kieran (2021) Party Competition in Post-devolution Scotland. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent, University of Kent. (doi:10.22024/UniKent/01.02.88248) (KAR id:88248)

Abstract

This thesis investigates the tactical choices political parties make in multi-level settings where a significant regional nationalist party operates. It presents an original account of the strategic options available to parties in that type of setting and then applies that framework to the case study of post-devolution Scotland. It argues that rhetorical strategy constitutes a distinct element in the tactical armoury available to political parties alongside the manipulation of policy position and issue salience. It also puts forward the idea that in circumstances where party competition takes place along a centre-periphery axis of competition alongside the ubiquitous left right one there exist two types of subsuming strategy where party spokespeople justify their party's position on one axis of competition by referencing its position on the other. It argues that there exists a positive subsuming strategy in which the position referenced on both axes is in line with the party's established policy identity and a negative subsuming strategy where one of the positions referenced is at variance with that established identity.It applies this framework via a mixed method analysis of the language used by representatives of the main Scottish parties in sessions of First Ministers Question Time in the Scottish Parliament. In doing so it shows that changes in incumbency position at state-wide and devolved level within the multi-level setting can significantly impact upon the tactical choices political parties make. Similarly whether the next scheduled electoral contest is for the devolved or state-wide tier of government is also shown to have a significant effect.The results of the analysis also demonstrate that the rhetorical justification political actors employ for their policy preferences represents a distinct element in party strategy. It presents evidence to show that this aspect of party strategy can be manipulated separately from policy position and issue salience, and that it can have a significant impact upon public perception regarding the ideological orientation of political parties. This finding extends existing scholarly understanding of how voters make judgements about political parties suggesting that they can respond to changes in rhetorical strategy by revising their judgment regarding to where political parties stand relative to their opponents.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD))
Thesis advisor: Dardanelli, Paolo
Thesis advisor: Seyd, Ben
DOI/Identification number: 10.22024/UniKent/01.02.88248
Uncontrolled keywords: Party competition, Scotland, Devolution, Regional Nationalism
Subjects: J Political Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Politics and International Relations
SWORD Depositor: System Moodle
Depositing User: System Moodle
Date Deposited: 18 May 2021 12:10 UTC
Last Modified: 01 Jun 2022 23:00 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/88248 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Wright, Kieran.

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