Evolution of the Scottish National Party: From Peripheral Protest to Dominance and Systemic Crisis

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) political evolution through the lens of center-periphery cleavage and resource mobilization theories. It traces the SNP’s transformation from a peripheral movement into an electoral hegemon, facilitated by civic nationalist ideology and devolution institutions. The author examines the party’s post-Brexit strategy and the causes of the 2023–2025 crisis, where corruption scandals and the exhaustion of the “valence politics” model eroded electoral dominance. The study analyzes emerging challenges, including the rise of the right-wing populist Reform UK which undermines the myth of “Scottish exceptionalism” and protectionist threats linked to Donald Trump’s return. It concludes that political survival amidst polarization requires the SNP to pivot from radical rhetoric to a pragmatic restoration of managerial competence.