Sex, Gender, Intersections, and Independence: How opposing independence campaigns targeted gendered subgroups of voters in the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014

Gender differences in constitutional attitudes were well known in Scotland before the 2014 independence referendum, with a sex gap persisting in voting behaviour surveys since the 1990s indicating that women are less supportive of constitutional change. Yet, recent data has shown the sex gap in support for Scottish independence is closing. This research investigates how and to what extent the opposing independence campaigns, Yes Scotland or Better Together (No Scotland), intentionally targeted gendered sub groups of voters and why. Research conducted for this paper includes findings from elite background interviews with critical actors from the opposing ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ sides of the Scottish independence campaigns, including campaign managers, campaign board members, campaign marketing strategists, party leaders, and leaders of women's networks. The findings contextualise the reactions of the campaigns to the sex gaps reported in the run-up to the independence referendum of 2014, indicating that a range of decisions was made to target women and men intentionally using a range of identities. Further, this research uses an intersectional lens to analyse and present findings on how campaigns organised and viewed gender subgroups of voters divided using variables such as class, age, national identity, and party ideology. This qualitative work is a new contribution to understanding why, how and to what extent political campaigns intentionally targeted voting groups to influence attitudes towards constitutional and institutional change. Findings from this research solidify existing arguments that to understand sex and gender gaps fully, an intersectional lens must be used to illuminate the heterogeneity of gendered voting groups to avoid essentialist statements.