ABSTRACT
The critical question which lies behind this whole study is put very simply. Given that a modern nationalist movement was found in Scotland in 1928, why did it move from being a tiny fringe party only in 1961? What accounts for its growth since that time? This chapter examines the answers which have been given by various analysts and to propose an explanation. It argues that the decline in the ‘class alignment’ of Scottish politics and the growth of interest in Scottish affairs would not have been sufficient to account for the rise of the Scottish National Party (SNP) had it not been for some extremely skilled organisers who worked for the SNP. Greater concern in Scotland for Scottish affairs was fostered by economic, political and social events and this concern concentrated on Scottish explanations and solutions rather than on any of the alternatives, such as the ‘class’ explanation.
