Recent Developments in the Scottish National Party

Since it s establishment, the major tension in the Scottish National Party has been between its fundamentalist and gradualist wings. The former identifies with the 'independence-nothing less' position and is wary of the party becoming too closely associated with a position on the left-right ideological axis. The latter would see independence as the ultimate goal but would accept a constitutional arrangement short of this as a 'stepping stone'. The gradualists have generally been more willing in recent years to see the SNP developing an identifiable ideological position-left of centre-and developing social and economic policies