Narrating constitutional futures : comparative emotional and identity dynamics in the Scottish Independence and European Union referendums

Abstract

Referendums in small states and territories are often marked by the elusive nature of a successful ‘Yes’ vote. This article examines the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum and the 2016 European Union (EU) Referendum (Brexit) as comparative cases to explore this dynamic. Drawing on the Qualitative Election Study of Britain (QESB), we analyse focus group and interview data to foreground the emotional and narrative dimensions of both campaigns. In Scotland, the Yes campaign sought to mobilise pride, empowerment, and a vision of self-determination, but these appeals were ultimately weakened by voter caution, concerns about economic risk, and fragmented elite messaging, resulting in a failed bid for independence. By contrast, in the EU referendum the Leave campaign was able to turn a change vote into a successful mobilisation, combining a populist narrative of sovereignty and control with emotionally resonant slogans such as ‘Take Back Control’. Meanwhile, Remain’s reliance on economic warnings was widely perceived as negative or scaremongering. Taken together, the two cases highlight how pro-change campaigns succeed or fail not only due to institutional constraints but also through their capacity to sustain emotionally resonant stories of transformation in the face of risk.