Scottish devolution referendum, 1997

Do you agree that there should be a Scottish Parliament as proposed by the Government?

Location

Date

11 September 1997

Results
	Votes	%
Yes	1,775,045	7001742900000000000♠74.29%
No	614,400	7001257100000000000♠25.71%
Valid votes	2,389,445	7002100000000000000♠100.00%
Invalid or blank votes	11,986	6999500000000000000♠0.5%
Total votes	2,389,445	100.00%
Registered voters/turnout	3,973,673	7001601300000000000♠60.13%

Results by Council areas

Yes — No

Saturation of colour reflects the strength of the Yes vote in each Council area.

The Scottish devolution referendum of 1997 was a pre-legislative referendum held in Scotland on 11 September 1997 over whether there was support for the creation of a Scottish Parliament with devolved powers, and whether the Parliament should have tax-varying powers. The result was 'Yes-Yes': a majority voted in favour of both proposals.

The referendum was a Labour manifesto commitment, held four months after their landslide victory in the 1997 UK general election. It was the second referendum held in Scotland over the question of devolution, the first being in 1979 and is to date the only major referendum to be held in any part of the United Kingdom where voters were asked two questions in the same plebiscite. Turnout for the referendum was 60.4%.

A referendum was held in 1979 under a Labour government which stipulated that a Scottish Assembly would come into being if the referendum had been supported by 50% of votes cast plus a controversial rule whereby at least 40% of the electorate had to vote in favour. Although 51.6% voted in favour, this was only 32.9% of the electorate so the Assembly was not brought into being. Shortly afterwards, the predominantly anti-devolution-led Conservative Party won the United Kingdom general election, 1979.

The Campaign for a Scottish Assembly was formed afterwards to continue the campaign. They brought together a committee of "prominent Scots" who drafted the document A Claim of Right for Scotland. The Claim was published in 1988 and signed by most Scottish politicians, local councils, trade unions and churches.

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