10. Scotland: Where Territorial Politics and Social Democracy Meet

In Scotland, left-wing and territorial mobilisations have been closely interlinked and have both contributed to the emergence of a sub-state welfare system that has increasingly diverged from the English (and British) one. Both the Labour Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP) campaigned for the devolution of substantial policy-making (but also fiscal) powers to Scotland. Moreover, despite controlling both central and regional governments, after the devolution reform the Scottish Labour Party was strongly influenced by region-specific political dynamics and promoted policies, like free elderly care, which were instead opposed by the central party leadership. The change in government that occurred in 2007, with the SNP becoming the new dominant political force in Scotland, has further increased the importance of social policy as an instrument of region- and nation-building.