Why the Welsh Said Yes, but the Northerners No: The Role of Political Parties in Consolidating Territorial Government

Why the Welsh Said Yes, but the Northerners No: The Role of Political Parties in Consolidating Territorial Government

This article focuses on the role played by the Labour Party in two devolution referendums, in Wales in 1997 and in the North-East region in 2004. Comparing the positive vote of the Welsh and the negative vote of the North shows how the governing party-the Labour Party which has also been historicall...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Contemporary British history 2014-07, Vol.28 (3), p.318-340
Main Authors: Moon, David S., Bratberg, Øivind
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Cultural Identity
Decentralization
Devolution
Electoral Campaigns
Government
Labor Parties
Labour parties
Political Parties
Referendum
Referendums
Regional Identity
State Role
The Labour Party
Voting
Wales
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Summary:This article focuses on the role played by the Labour Party in two devolution referendums, in Wales in 1997 and in the North-East region in 2004. Comparing the positive vote of the Welsh and the negative vote of the North shows how the governing party-the Labour Party which has also been historically dominant in each of these regions-contributed to the contrasting outcome. Our argument is that dominant parties impact both in their formal (structural, institutional) and non-formal (cultural, identity) aspects. The crucial role of the leading party is thus to enable (or constrain) a sub-state space for politics and popular mobilisation on territorial grounds.
ISSN:1361-9462
1743-7997