Politics and the People: Scotland, 1945–1979. By Malcolm R. Petrie. Who Runs Edinburgh? By David McCrone.

Malcolm Petrie's book, "Politics and the People: Scotland, 1945–1979," focuses on the arguments and ideologies used by political parties in Scotland during this period. Petrie argues that support for the Scottish National Party (SNP) grew at the expense of the Unionist/Conservative party and the Liberal party. The SNP's appeal was based on classic liberal, anti-statist themes such as hostility to centralization and belief in local self-government. Petrie also discusses the Conservative and Labour parties, but does not delve into internal party history. The decline of heavy industry and the perception of control from London were key factors in the SNP's rise. David McCrone's study of contemporary Edinburgh explores the city's changing power dynamics. McCrone examines the town council, institutions like schools and the university, and property development. He argues that control has shifted to undemocratic bodies without roots in the city, leading to loss of local control and social impact. McCrone also touches on the excessive impact of tourism in Edinburgh. [Extracted from the article]