ABSTRACT
The central question of this study – what motivated members to join the SNP and Scottish Greens in the aftermath of a referendum defeat – is addressed in this chapter. Reasons for joining the parties are explored in detail, with a focus on three factors: ideological conviction, the ease of joining in an online world and the idea that the surge was a collective movement. Consistent with previous research, support for independence and ideological motivations dominated decision-making, but there was a broader belief, especially among Greens, in what independence could achieve. While the members reported feeling part of a collective experience, there is little evidence of members joining to pursue ambitions for political participation.
