View source for 1979 Scottish devolution referendum

{{short description|Post-legislative referendum}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox referendum
| name = 1979 Scottish devolution referendum
| title = Do you want the Provisions of the Scotland Act 1978 to be put into effect?
| location = [[Scotland]]
| country = Scotland
| flag_year = 1979
| next_year=1997
| next_referendum = 1997 Scottish devolution referendum
| date = 1 March 1979
| yes = 1230937
| no = 1153502
| total = 2387572
| electorate = 3747112
| map = Scottish devolution referendum, 1979.svg
| map_caption = Results by local voting area<br />'''Yes''': {{legend0|#B6C8D9|50–60%}} <br />'''No''': {{legend0|#DEDEBD|50–60%}} {{legend0|#BCBC83|60–70%}} {{legend0|#8B8B54|70-80%}}
| mapdivision = [[Regions of Scotland|region]]
| notes = 
}}
A post-legislative [[referendum]] was held in [[Scotland]] in 1979 to decide whether there was a sufficient support for a [[Scottish Assembly]] proposed in the [[Scotland Act 1978]] among the Scottish electorate. This was an act to create a [[devolution|devolved]] [[Scottish Assembly|deliberative assembly]] for [[Scotland]]. A majority (51.6%) of voters supported the proposal, but an amendment to the Act stipulated that it would be repealed if less than 40% of the total electorate voted in favour. As there was a turnout of 64% the "Yes" vote represented only 32.9% of the registered electorate, and the act was subsequently repealed.

A [[1997 Scottish devolution referendum|second referendum]] to create a devolved legislature in Scotland was held in 1997 under a newly elected Labour government, which led to the enactment of the [[Scotland Act 1998]] and the creation of a devolved [[Scottish Parliament]] in 1999.

==Background==
{{PoliticsScotland}} {{UK Referendums}}

===Kilbrandon Commission===
Following the [[Scottish National Party]] gaining its first peacetime MP in the [[1967 Hamilton by-election]] and [[Plaid Cymru]]'s first win at the [[1966 Carmarthen by-election]] in Wales, the United Kingdom government set up the [[Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)|Royal Commission on the Constitution]], referred to as the ''Kilbrandon Commission'', in 1969. The [[royal commission]] was intended to look at the [[Constitution of the United Kingdom|constitutional structure of the United Kingdom]] and consider changes that should be made. The final report was published in 1973.

The commission examined various models of [[devolution]], [[federalism]] and [[confederation|confederalism]], on top of the break-up of the UK into separate [[sovereign state]]s.

In relation to Scotland, eight of the commission's members supported a [[Scottish Assembly]], via a devolved structure. It would recommended that the assembly would have around 100 members, elected under [[single transferable vote]] from multi-member constituencies. The assembly would obtain powers in the areas of education, environment, health, home affairs, legal matters and social services, while agriculture, fisheries and food would be divided between the assembly and the UK government.

===Previous Legislation===
After returning to power with a minority government in [[February 1974 United Kingdom general election|February 1974 election]], [[Harold Wilson]]'s Labour government published a [[white paper]] entitled ''Democracy and Devolution: Proposals for Scotland and Wales'', published in September 1974. The party gained a narrow majority of three seats in the [[October 1974 United Kingdom general election|election in October]].

By 1976, the Labour government, now led by [[James Callaghan]], had lost its parliamentary majority entirely following a series of adverse [[by-election]] results. To provide a stable majority in the House of Commons, the government made an agreement with the [[Scottish National Party]] and [[Plaid Cymru]] whereby, in return for their support in Commons votes, the government would instigate legislation to devolve political powers from Westminster to Scotland and Wales.<ref name="bbc79ref">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/devolution/scotland/briefing/79referendums.shtml|title=Scottish Referendums|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

The ''Scotland and Wales Bill'' was subsequently introduced in November 1976, but the government struggled to get the legislation through parliament. The Conservative opposition opposed its second reading, and on the first day of [[Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom#Committee stage|committee]] 350 amendments were put down. Progress slowed to a crawl. In February 1977, the Bill's cabinet sponsor [[Michael Foot]] tabled a [[Cloture|guillotine motion]] to attempt to halt the delays. The motion was rejected and the government was forced to withdraw the Bill.<ref name="bbc79ref" />

==Scotland Act 1978==
The government returned to the issue of devolution in November 1977. Separate bills for Scotland and Wales were published and support from the Liberals was obtained. In spite of continued opposition requiring another [[Cloture|guillotine motion]], the Bills were passed.<ref name="bbc79ref" /> During the passage of the Scotland Act 1978 through Parliament, an [[Bill (law)|amendment]] introduced by Labour MP [[George Cunningham (British politician)|George Cunningham]] added a requirement that the bill had to be approved by 40% of the total registered electorate, as well as a simple majority (50% + 1).<ref name="remember">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/devolution/scotland/briefing/scotbrief1.shtml#1979|title=1979 Remembered |first=Brian|last=Taylor|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|access-date=10 April 2012}}</ref>

==Opinion polling==
{{mw-datatable}}
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-datatable" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;line-height:14px;"
! rowspan="2"|Date(s)<br />conducted
! rowspan="2"|Pollster
! rowspan="2"|Client
! rowspan="2"|Sample<br />size
! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;"|Yes
! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;"|No
! rowspan="2" style="width:50px;|Don't<br />know
! rowspan="2"|Lead
|-
! data-sort-type="number" style="background:green;"| 
! data-sort-type="number" style="background:red;"|
|-style="background:#E9E9E9;"
|{{opdrts||1|Mar|1979|year}} 
| colspan="2" |1979 devolution referendum 
|–
|{{yes|'''51.6%'''}} 
|48.4% 
|N/A
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|3.2%
|-
|{{opdrts||1|Mar|1979|year}} 
|[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LMJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9aUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5254%2C244384 Opinion Research Centre]{{efn|name=ExitPoll|Exit poll.}}
|''[[ITN]]''
|~8,000{{efn|name=Wales|The sample was made up of voters in Scotland and Wales.}}
|{{yes2|'''35%'''}}
|26%
|39%{{efn|name=WouldNotVote|Number of people who said they did not vote.}}
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|9%
|-
|{{opdrts|27|28|Feb|1979|year}}
|[https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/1979-devolution-referendum-campaign-survey-3 MORI]
|''Scottish Daily Express''
|1,003
|{{yes2|'''42%'''}}
|{{no2|'''42%'''}} 
|16% 
|Tie
|-
|{{opdrts|24|25|Feb|1979|year}}
|[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EMJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=86UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5185%2C6110613 System Three]
|''[[The Herald (Glasgow)|Glasgow Herald]]''
|1,080
|{{yes2|'''43%'''}}
|40%
|17%
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|3%
|-
|{{opdrts|20|22|Feb|1979|year}}
|[https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/1979-devolution-referendum-campaign-survey-2 MORI]
|''Scottish Daily Express''
|1,037
|{{yes|'''54%'''}}
|33%
|12% 
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|21%
|-
|{{opdrts|12|14|Feb|1979|year}}
|[https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/1979-devolution-referendum-campaign-survey-1 MORI]
|''LWT Weekend World''
|1,015
|{{yes|'''55%'''}}
|28%
|16%
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|27%
|-
|{{opdrts|29|6|Feb|1979|year}}
|[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A8JAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=86UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2794%2C2554329 System Three]
|''Glasgow Herald''
| 1,003
|{{yes2|'''45%'''}}
|35%
|20%
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|10%
|-
|{{opdrts|8|20|Jan|1979|year}}
|[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=28FAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7aUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3628%2C3556998 System Three]
|''Glasgow Herald''
|926
|{{yes|'''52%'''}}
|29%
|19%
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|23%
|-
|{{opdrts|26|3|Oct|1978|year}}
|[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zKdAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3497%2C1651696 System Three]
|''Glasgow Herald''
|972
|{{yes|'''59%'''}}
|29%
|12%
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|30%
|-
|{{opdrts||5|Apr|1978|year}}
|[https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/2806/Scottish-Devolution-Survey-April-1978.aspx MORI]
|''LWT Weekend World''
|1,002
|{{yes|'''63%'''}}
|27%
|10%
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|36%
|-
|{{opdrts|30|6|Feb|1978|year}}
|[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dY5AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2qQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3059%2C2489762 System Three]
|''Glasgow Herald''
|994
|{{yes|'''55%'''}}
|28%
|17%
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|27%
|-
|{{opdrts|26|5|Mar|1977|year}}
|[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d-o9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=jkgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2777%2C1592146 System Three]
|''Glasgow Herald''
|978
|{{yes|'''53%'''}}
|31%
|16%
|style="background:green;color:#FFFFFF;"|22%
|}
{{notelist}}

==Result==
{{Referendum
|title = Do you want the provisions of the Scotland Act 1978 to be put into effect?
|yes = 1,230,937
|yespct = 51.62
|no = 1,153,502
|nopct = 48.38
|valid = 2,384,439
|validpct = 99.87
|invalid = 3,133
|invalidpct = 0.13
|total = 2,387,582
|turnoutpct = 63.72
|electorate = 3,747,112
|source = [https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP97-113/RP97-113.pdf House of Commons Library]
}}

{{Referendum bar
| title = National referendum

| text1       = Yes
| vote1       = 1,230,937
| background1 = #9f9
| textcolor1  = #000

| text2       = No
| vote2       = 1,153,532
| background2 = #f99
| textcolor2  = #000
}}

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right;"
|+Results by counting area <ref>{{Cite book|last=Dewdney|first=Richard|url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP97-113/RP97-113.pdf|title=Results of Devolution Referendums (1979 & 1997) Research Paper No 97/113|publisher=[[House of Commons Library]]|year=1997|location=London, United Kingdom|pages=10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Parkhouse|first1=Geoffrey|last2=Trotter|first2=Stuart|date=3 March 1997|title=Split vote teaches Callaghan a lesson|work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Glasgow Herald]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19790303&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|access-date=2 August 2021}}</ref>
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Counting Area
! rowspan="2" |Valid Votes
! rowspan="2" |Turnout (%)
! colspan="2" |Votes
! colspan="2" |Proportion of Votes
! colspan="2" |Proportion of electorate
|-
!Yes
!No
!Yes
!No
!Yes
!No
|-
|style="background:#FF9999;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Scottish Borders|Borders]]
|51,526
|66.4%
|20,746
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''30,780'''
|40.3%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''59.7%'''
|26.7%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''39.7%'''
|-
|style="background:#99FF99;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Central Region, Scotland|Central]]
|130,401
|65.9%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''71,296'''
|59,105
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''54.7%'''
|45.3%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''36.0%'''
|29.9%
|-
|style="background:#FF9999;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Dumfries and Galloway]]
|67,401
|64.1%
|27,162
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''40,239'''
|40.3%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''59.7%'''
|25.8%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''38.2%'''
|-
|style="background:#99FF99;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Fife]]
|160,688
|65.3%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''86,252'''
|74,436
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''53.7%'''
|46.3%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''35.0%'''
|30.2%
|-
|style="background:#FF9999;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Grampian]]
|196,429
|57.2%
|94,944
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''101,485'''
|48.3%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''51.7%'''
|27.6%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''29.5%'''
|-
|style="background:#99FF99;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Highland (council area)|Highland]]
|88,247
|64.7%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''44,973'''
|43,274
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''51.0%'''
|49.0%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''33.0%'''
|31.7%
|-
|style="background:#99FF99;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Lothian]]
|373,642
|65.9%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''187,221'''
|186,421
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''50.1%'''
|49.9%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''33.0%'''
|32.9%
|-
|style="background:#FF9999;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Orkney Islands]]
|7,543
|54.1%
|2,104
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''5,439'''
|27.9%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''72.1%'''
|15.1%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''39.0%'''
|-
|style="background:#FF9999;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Shetland Islands]]
|7,486
|50.3%
|2,020
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''5,466'''
|27.0%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''73.0%'''
|13.6%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''36.7%'''
|-
|style="background:#99FF99;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Strathclyde]]
|1,105,118
|62.5%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''596,519'''
|508,599
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''54.0%'''
|46.0%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''33.7%'''
|28.7%
|-
|style="background:#FF9999;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Tayside]]
|184,807
|63.0%
|91,482
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''93,325'''
|49.5%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''50.5%'''
|31.2%
|style="background:#FFCCCC;"|'''31.8%'''
|-
|style="background:#99FF99;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|[[Western Isles]]
|11,151
|49.9%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''6,218'''
|4,933
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''55.8%'''
|44.2%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''27.8%'''
|22.1%
|-
|style="background:#99FF99;"|
|style="text-align:left;"|'''Total<ref name=":0" group="note">The percentage of the electorate voting Yes was 32.5% on an unadjusted basis. After the electoral roll was adjusted for 40,200 ineligible voters (deaths; students and nurses registered at more than one address; prisoners), the % of the electorate voting Yes for the purposes of the Act was 32.9%.</ref>'''
|2,384,439
|63.0%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''1,230,937'''
|1,153,500
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''51.6%'''
|48.4%
|style="background:#CCFFCC;"|'''32.5%'''
|30.5%
|}

==Aftermath==
[[File:Yes for a stronger Scotland Logo 1979.svg|thumb|Logo used by the Labour Yes campaign.]]
[[File:Scotland Says No Logo.svg|thumb|Logo used by the No campaign.]]
The result was a majority in favour of devolution. A total of 1,230,937 (51.6%)<ref name="remember"/> voted at the referendum in favour of an Assembly, a majority of about 77,400 over those voting against. However, this total represented only 32.9% of the registered electorate as a whole.<ref name="remember"/>  The Labour government held that the Act's requirements had not been met, and that devolution would therefore not be introduced for Scotland.

In the wake of the referendum the disappointed supporters of the bill conducted a protest campaign under the slogan "Scotland said 'yes{{'"}}, officially launched in a Glasgow hotel on 7 March 1979.<ref>"Liberals Get tough on devolution" By William Russel. ''The Glasgow Herald'' – 8 March 1979.</ref> In particular, the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP) carried out a survey of the electoral register in the Edinburgh Central constituency. This appeared to show that the register was so out of date that even in an area where major support for a "yes" vote might be expected, achievement of 40% of the electorate was virtually unattainable. This was because the majority of electors lived in older tenements or newer Council blocks of flats where flat numbers were not specified. The work of electoral registration staff to obtain an accurate current register was almost impossible.{{cn|date=November 2023}}

Under the terms of the Act, it could then be repealed by a [[Statutory instrument]] to be approved by Parliament. The government's decision to abandon devolution led the SNP to withdraw its support for the Labour government. It was in a minority in Parliament and had relied on deals with the smaller parties, including the SNP, for its survival. After establishing that the Liberals and the SNP would vote against the government in a confidence motion, the Conservative opposition tabled a [[1979 vote of no confidence in the Callaghan ministry|motion on 28 March]]. The government was defeated by one vote, and a [[1979 United Kingdom general election|UK general election]] was subsequently called. This was won by the Conservatives, and Parliament voted to repeal the Act on 20 June 1979.<ref name="remember"/>

A [[1997 Scottish devolution referendum|second referendum]] to create a devolved legislature in Scotland was held in 1997 under a newly elected Labour government, which led to the enactment of the [[Scotland Act 1998]] and the creation of a devolved [[Scottish Parliament]] in 1999.

==See also==
*[[1997 Scottish devolution referendum]]
*[[2014 Scottish independence referendum]]
*[[Scottish independence]]
*[[Referendums in the United Kingdom]]
*[[Scottish Assembly]]
*[[Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)]]
*[[1979 Welsh devolution referendum]]

==Notes==
<references group="note" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110709023751/http://www.alba.org.uk/timeline/1967to1979.html Chronology of Scottish Politics: The Devolution Years 1967–1979]}}
{{Scottish devolution}}{{Scottish elections}}
{{United Kingdom local elections, 1979}}
{{James Callaghan}}

[[Category:Referendums in Scotland]]
[[Category:1979 referendums]]
[[Category:1979 elections in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1979 in Scotland]]
[[Category:1970s elections in Scotland]]
[[Category:Scottish devolution]]
[[Category:Autonomy referendums]]
[[Category:March 1979 in the United Kingdom]]