Where stands the Union now? Lessons from the 2007 Scottish Parliament election

Giving Scotland its own devolved parliament was supposed to help cement its place in the Union while maintaining Labour's hegemony within the country itself. But on 3 May 2007, in just the third election to the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish National Party, advocates of independence for Scotland, outpolled Labour and seized the reins of power in Edinburgh. This paper uses survey evidence to assess the apparent implications of the election for the health of the Union.