The Scottish National Party arrived dramatically in British politics in the 1970s. Now, with devolution, it has emerged as the main opposition party in the Scottish Parliament. SNP: The Scottish National Party explores the party's fortunes from its formation in the 1930s to its performance in the new Parliament. Peter Lynch traces the course of modern Scottish Nationalism, the personalities and the politics that have brought the SNP to this pivotal point in history. Through a range of documentary sources and interviews he provides the inside story of the party's campaign for independence. The book also examines the SNP's electoral prospects in the 2003 Scottish election as the party seeks sufficient support to launch an independence referendum. This book is a timely history of the party that has been the driving force behind constitutional change in Scotland.