Scottish National Party Leaders

The story of the Scottish National Party is a dramatic one. It has changed Scotland and Britain and in the process has been changed itself. The party survived against all the odds, and for decades had to endure irrelevance in electoral terms. From the 1960s onwards, it emerged as a serious force challenging the mainstream Westminster parties. Finally, from the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, the SNP has transformed into an effective opposition and become what it is today - a serious party of government. This varied and diverse history has led to the culture and style of party leadership looking very different across the eighty years of the party’s existence. This collection will examine all of the SNP’s formal leaders, along with a number of the most important and defining figures who contributed to shaping and influencing the party. Scottish National Party Leaders is the first ever analysis of the senior figures who made the SNP into the phenomenon it is today, and who have contributed to changing the face of Scottish and British politics.