After Devolution and Brexit, What is Left of the UK’s Sovereignty? Competing Narratives of Sovereignty and State in Scottish Political Parties’ 2021 Manifestos

The EU referendum was seen by some Brexiteers as a way of reclaiming sovereignty from the EU, back to Westminster. When the issue of the repatriation of EU competences arose, London’s intention was to allocate all competences to the central British government. This was interpreted by Scotland as the sign of a re-centralisation of the state, in complete contradiction with the spirit of shared sovereignty ignited by devolution. The contribution will reflect upon the meanings ascribed to sovereignty in a post-Brexit Scotland by analysing 5 political parties manifestos from the 2021 Scottish general election. With the British union at a crossroads since Brexit and its still unfolding effects on the British constitutional equilibrium, it seems highly relevant to scrutinize the ways political actors interpret the new status quo and which political project they champion to address it.