Multi-level politics and party change : a study of three British parties since devolution

The territorial dimension has become a significant feature of party politics in Europe. Political parties face an environment where governing institutions at the regional and the European level have increased in importance. How parties respond to such denationalisation is the topic of this dissertation, which analyses developments in three statewide parties in Britain since the creation of the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales in 1999. During the last decade a new set of relations has evolved between London, Edinburgh and Cardiff, and this is also reflected in Britain’s representation in the EU. Seen against this backdrop, the organisational change in British parties has been modest. Despite the changing circumstances, the traditional power allocation in each of the parties largely holds sway. It is sustained by inherited organisational structures and ideas about the appropriate allocation of power. However, even if parties are typically late reformers, certain conditions can open for more profound party reform. The most obvious example is found where an electoral downturn coincides with the presence of authoritative regional elites. The dissertation consists of an introductory chapter and four empirical articles analysing multi-level politics and party change in Britain