What if the
Scottish Devolution Referendum of 1979 had met with the necessary criteria so as to allow for Devolution to come to Scotland in 1979 instead of 1997?
What would this do to British Politics? Would this help or damage the Scottish National Party? And what would it do to the Callaghan Ministry?
In a bizzare fashion, it would have helped the Conservatives more than any other party.
The SNP had shot their bolt by 1979 and the Tories were, relatively speaking popular, winning the most votes in the European election in Scotland and winning over 30% at the UK General election.
Even if you factor in a larger support for the SNP at the Assembly elections, the Tories would still probably be the main opposition in the Assembly, probably meaning that the Labour Party took the hit for the early surge in unemployment in Scotland. It would also give Thatcherism a Scottish face.
With regards the SNP, at this stage, I can't see them doing well at all as they would be squeezed in an ideological fight. At this stage, devolution probably
would kill the SNP. Their big chance was in 1974. An election in '75, maybe but by '79, they were in all kinds of trouble.
If you wanted the Tories possibly even by the year 2000 winning a national election in Scotland, this is the way.
EDIT: Alternatively, it could go the opposite way and become the GLC writ large. The more I think about it, the more my own thoughts are divided on the subject.