Referendum or popular consultation
Scottish devolution referendum, 1979
A majority of voters backed the Scotland Act 1978, but the Yes vote fell short of the 40% of the electorate the Act required, and the Act was repealed.
What happened
The Scotland Act 1978 would have created a Scottish Assembly, but Parliament had added a condition that it could only come into force if 40% of the whole electorate supported it.[1][2]
On 1 March 1979 a narrow majority of those voting said Yes, but that was about a third of the electorate.[3] The government then lost a vote of confidence and the May 1979 general election, and the Act was repealed in June.[4]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: The Scotland Act 1978, which would have created a Scottish Assembly, became law on 31 July 1978 and required the support of 40% of the whole electorate to come into force.
- Scottish Parliament, The path to devolution (Scottish Parliament) link, The path to devolution, paras. 2–3. Government perspective or primary official source Source record
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2.
Claim: On 25 January 1978 the Commons carried, by 168 votes to 142, an amendment requiring a repeal order if fewer than 40% of those entitled to vote in the referendum voted Yes.
- Chronology of devolution 1885–1978, The Scottish Government Yearbook 1979 (Paul Harris Publishing, 1979), ISBN 0904505537 link, p. 207, entry for 25 January 1978. Source record
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3.
Claim: In the referendum of 1 March 1979, 51.6% of those voting supported the devolution scheme, but the Yes vote amounted to about a third of the electorate, below the 40% requirement.
- Scottish Parliament, The path to devolution (Scottish Parliament) link, The path to devolution, para. 4. Government perspective or primary official source Source record Gives 52% of voters and 33% of the electorate (rounded).
- Pattie, Charles; Denver, David; Mitchell, James and Bochel, Hugh, The 1997 Scottish Referendum: An Analysis of the Results, Scottish Affairs (Winter 1998) link, PDF p. 2. Source record Gives 51.6% of those voting and 32.5% of the eligible electorate.
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4.
Claim: After the referendum the Labour government lost a vote of no confidence and a general election in May 1979, and the Scotland Act 1978 was repealed in June 1979.
- Scottish Parliament, The path to devolution (Scottish Parliament) link, The path to devolution, para. 4. Government perspective or primary official source Source record