The perception of a democratic deficit began in the Thatcher premiership, long before Brexit. Scottish self government came to be positively linked with European intergation.
If on reads the Brexit debate as a (misguided) battle against the broken promises of democracy, Scotland's experenece seems to diverge from that of the rest of the UL> Here, the perception of political disenfranchisement set in earlier and found quite different forms of expression: the neo liberal and austerity-driven infringements on individual economic, social and political participation during the Thatcher years coincided with a disempowerment of collective institutions, notable labour and community bodies, raising demands for Scotland to become more democratic by ay of devolution or secession. In this context, and despite the neoliberal tendencies and democratic shortcomings of the EU, Scottish self-government cam to be positively linked with European integration.
A chapter from Contested Britain: Brexit, Austerity and Agency, edited by Marius Guderjan and Hugh Mackay.