'Governance transitions' and minority nationalist parties' pressure for welfare state change: evidence from Welsh and Scottish elections - and the UK's 'Brexit' referendum

摘要

This study is concerned with welfare state development and theudintersection between the twin global phenomena of sub-state nationalismudand ‘governance transitions’. Specifically, how minority nationalist parties’ud(MNPs) use discourse to exert pressure for welfare change. Accordingly,udhere we explore their discourse in Scottish and Welsh elections, and the UKud‘Brexit’ referendum on European Union membership. The findings revealudhow pressure for welfare change is framed using key tropes includingudnation-building, extending social protection, and resistance to centraludgovernment programmes. The wider significance to understanding globaludsocial policy lies in: 1. revealing the discursive processes associated withudmulti-level welfare state dynamics; 2. demonstrating how MNPs andudgovernance transitions combine to pressure for welfare state change; andud3. showing how the resultant territorialisation of policy discourse advancesud‘sub-state’ models of social citizenship.