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THE CHANGING GEOGRAPHY OF NATION- ALIST VOTING IN WALES AND SCOTLAND, 1983―1987 R.J. Johnston & C.J. Pattie CAMBRIA Johnston R.J. & Pattie C.J. (1989) The changing geography of nationalist voting in Wales and Scotland 1983-1987. Cambria, 15, 103-125. ISSN 0306-9796. ABSTRACT The nationalist political parties in Wales and Scotland have mobilised voters in some milieux much more successfully than in others. Between 1983 and 1987 that. geography was sustained both Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party retained the loyalty of more supporters and won over more converts in the constituencies where they were already strong and campaigned actively than eisewhere. AUTHORS' ADDRESS Professor R.J.Johnston & Mr C.J.Pattie, Departjnent of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, England. (Paper received September 23rd 1988 revised version accept.ed November llth 1988) INTRODUCTION The north-south divide identified by many as a salient feature of recent. changes in Britain's economic and social geography (e.g. Green 1988 Townsend and Lewis 1989) is a feature of its electoral geography too. Recent research has provided clear evidence of a growing electoral polarisation within Great Britain in the 'north' the Labour party has become relatively stronger, whereas in the 'south' Conservative hegemony has increased and, in 1983 and 1987 at least, the Alliance replaced Labour as the main opposition part.y in many areas (Johnstjon et al. 1988). This growing electoral polarisation appears to be closely linked to the perception of a changing geography of economic well-being (Johnston and Pattie 1988). Within the 'north', Scotland and Wales stand out as two of the regions experiencing major shifts in electoral preferences since 1979, away from the Conservatives and towards Labour (Johnston et al. 1988). These shifts reflect the general trends related to economic and social well-being, but in addition are related to wider feelings of alienation from the policies of recent Conservative governments, especially in Scotland. But. Scotland and Wales differ from the other 'northern' regions (i.e. the North, Northwest, and Yorkshire and Humberside standard regions in northern England) because of the presence of nationalist parties which, together,