The debate on Scottish independence and the future of the Union has dominated Scottish politics throughout the term of the fourth Scottish Parliament, and has increasingly occupied mainstream political parties in Westminster during 2014. While only those resident in Scotland have the right to vote in the referendum this has not constrained political actors outside of Scotland contributing to this debate. Think tanks have played a significant if neglected role in this process, and have sought to position their interventions as non-partisan neutral policy analysis in what has become a rather polarised debate. This paper examines how think tanks have gravitated towards this issue, including the creation of new think tanks to provide fresh thinking on independence, and considers their strategies, party linkages and how their largely conservative ideological preferences have shaped public debate.
