David Stewart's meticulously researched study of the background leading to devolution makes the familiar case that Margaret Thatcher was the midwife of devolution. What makes this study different is less the thesis than the details provided to back it up. Indeed, in some respects this is a very orthodox view, but it is one that is sustained by a wide range of evidence. The notion that 'Scottish civil society' rose up against a Government driven by a 'new right' ideology, with its roots in St Andrews University, has been well worn but rarely explored in a sustained way as here. This account will be fascinating for those new to the subject and will provoke memories for those who lived through it. There is ample empirical evidence on show. However, this reader has some nagging doubts about aspects of the main thesis, though not about the broader argument or the detailed empirical evidence.
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