An Essex academic has co-authored a new book that charts the Scottish National Party’s course from the electoral doldrums to a party of prominence.

Established SNP-watcher Dr Rob Johns from our Department of Government is one half of the team behind Takeover – Explaining the Extraordinary Rise of the SNP.

The book analyses the internal battles between the leadership, members and activists; maps the changing profile of the average SNP voter; and outlines the new challenges that have come with increased electoral success.

Despite dominating the political landscape in Scotland for the last decade, it was the 2014 Scottish referendum campaign and the near clean sweep in the 2015 General Election that has made the party one of the biggest stories in current UK politics.

Speaking of the book, Dr Johns said, “Although the SNP has been in government in Scotland for the best part of a decade now, many people in the rest of the UK only really started to take notice when the party brought Scotland to the brink of independence in the 2014 referendum.

“We wanted to explain how the SNP took over from Labour as Scotland’s dominant party – and how it remained dominant even after the referendum. The SNP may have lost that vote but it won the campaign hands down, and Scotland is still feeling the political effects.”

The book is co-authored by Professor James Mitchell from the University of Edinburgh’s Academy of Government.

It’s published by Biteback Publishing and is out now.