Scottish devolution referendum, 1979

Do you want the Provisions of the Scotland Act 1978 to be put into effect?

Location

Date

1 March 1979

Results
	Votes	%
Yes	1,230,937	7001516200000000000♠51.62%
No	1,153,502	7001483800000000000♠48.38%
Valid votes	2,384,439	7001998700000000000♠99.87%
Invalid or blank votes	3,133	6999130000000000000♠0.13%
Total votes	2,387,572	100.00%
Registered voters/turnout	3,747,112	7001637200000000000♠63.72%

Results by region

Yes — No

The Scottish referendum of 1979 was a post-legislative referendum to decide whether there was sufficient support for a Scottish Assembly proposed in the Scotland Act 1978 among the Scottish electorate. This was an act to create a devolved deliberative assembly for Scotland. An amendment to the Act stipulated that it would be repealed if fewer than 40% of the total electorate voted Yes in the referendum. The result was that 51.6% supported the proposal, but with a turnout of 64%, this represented only 32.9% of the registered electorate. The Act was subsequently repealed.

In 1976, the UK's Labour government led by James Callaghan, which had won the previous general election in 1974 by just three seats, had lost its parliamentary majority entirely following a series of adverse by-election results. To recreate a voting majority in the House of Commons, the government made an agreement with the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru whereby, in return for their support in Commons votes, the government would instigate legislation to devolve political powers from Westminster to Scotland and Wales. This in turn followed the findings of the Kilbrandon commission which had recommended the establishment of a separate Scottish parliament.

The Scotland and Wales Bill was subsequently introduced in November 1976, but the government struggled to get the Bill through parliament. The Conservative opposition opposed its second reading and on the first day of committee 350 amendments were put down. Progress slowed to a crawl. In February 1977 the Bill's cabinet sponsor Michael Foot tabled a Guillotine Motion to attempt to halt the delays. The motion was rejected and the government was forced to withdraw the Bill.

The government returned to the issue of devolution in November 1977. Separate bills for Scotland and Wales were published and support from the Liberals was obtained. In spite of continued opposition requiring another guillotine motion, the Bills were passed. During the passage of the Scotland Act 1978 through Parliament, an amendment introduced by Labour MP George Cunningham added a requirement that the approval at the referendum be by 40% of Scotland's total registered electorate, rather than by a majority.

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Wikipedia