Devolution
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| 🇬🇧 | 🇬🇧 |
| What is devolution? | Process of delegating power, but not sovereignty from the UK parliament to the specific regions of the country |
| What is key about the power of devolution? | This is a power that can be returned back to UK parliament through a constitutional statute |
| What is quasi federalism? | The semi entrenchment of devolution in the UK |
| What is asymmetric devolution? | An uneven amount of power given to the regions, the powers granted to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are asymmetric |
| Why could devolution in the UK be seen as semi entrenched? | The devolution acts came about due to referendums which have the intent of being entrenched, the idea of taking back the powers is unthinkable |
| What powers can be devolved? | Legislative powers, administrative powers and financial powers |
| What are legislative powers? | Ability to make laws |
| What are administrative powers? | Regional governments. Power and responsibility to administer laws and organise state services |
| What are financial powers? | Allows devolved governments to raise their own taxes |
| How did Scottish devolution begin? | In 1997 a referendum was held in Scotland to gauge support for devolution |
| What was the Scotland act 1998? | The first step of devolution which gave powers to vary the income tax rate up or down by three percent, operate the health service, education, policing and local authority services |
| What electoral system did they use? | AMS - Largest party in parliament or a coalition with the first minister leading government |
| What was the Scotland act 2016? | After the independence referendum was lost in 2014, new and extended powers were given under this Act. These include widening the areas on which they could pass laws, control over the welfare service and energy industry and control over some business taxes |
| Why is Brexit a problem for Scottish devolution? | The majority of Scotland chose to remain in the EU whereas they UK as a whole left. For many Scots the only way to remain in the EU is to be independent of the UK |
| What is Nicola Sturgeon’s response to brexit? | She is disappointed and frustrated and is using Brexit result to push for a second Scottish independence referendum |
| What is the government of Wales Act 1998? | A law that set up an elected welsh National Assembly and Welsh executive with devolution purely administrative |
| What were the powers of the assembly? | Decides how to allocate funds received from central government between various services including health, education and agriculture |
| How does the Welsh assembly handle its finance? | Without a means of raising finance, the Welsh assembly relies on annual grants from the UK government |
| Why was the government of Wales act 2014 established? | The Lib Dems were in coalition government and the believed and supported further decentralised powers for Wales |
| What were the key provisions of the 2014 act? | Referendum in Wales to decide whether Welsh assembly should have partial control over income tax, Welsh assembly granted control over various taxes including business and landfill taxes, had limited power to borrow money on open markets for big projects |
| Why is Northern Ireland the least integrated part of the UK? | It has a distinct history and culture with different parties than England with a significant force of religious tensions in its midst |
| What do Protestants want? | To see Ireland stay a part of the UK |
| What do Catholics want? | Ireland united as a single republic |
| What are the troubles? | A major conflict due to religious and political tensions which made Northern Ireland world renowned. It ended with over 3000 deaths and 30,000 injured |
| What is the 1998 good Friday agreement? | It was an agreement that restored devolved powers to NI after they were dissolved in 1972 due to increased violence |
| How does the electoral system help this power share? | NI have a proportional system which means the NI executive is based on a power share resulting in all major parties being guaranteed a ministerial place |
| Which powers were devolved? | Transport, policing, agriculture and sponsorship of the arts |
| What is the current situation in Northern Ireland? | Civil servants were making day to day calls while executive were at odds on key issues such as same sex marriage and measures to deal with investigation into the troubles |
| What are city governments? | City government refers to a level of administration that is both geographically-localised and has limited powers. |
| What is the London general assembly? | An elected assembly of 25 members with no single party having an overall majority |
| What is key about the new roles of elected mayors? | They have bigger responsibilities that span further than just ceremonial |
| What is a key example of elected mayors stepping up? | Andy Burnham asking for more funding for Manchester when we were sent into tier 3 and the introduction of our pass |
| What is English votes for English laws? | The proposal of ‘English votes for English laws’ solved the West Lothian question without the need for an English Parliament |
| What would an English government look like? | A completely new establishment separate from the UK parliament that would either sit in the current house or sit in an external place such as Nottingham |
| Why would this help the north south divide? | By having an external body that sits outside the Westminster it gives the English people more regional identity as it isn’t Westminster based |
| Why wouldn’t this be a great idea? | As the population of the UK is massive compared to other regions, it would ask for way more powers than other regions, it could lead to the dissolving of the UK parliament as there wouldn’t be that much of a need for them. Wouldn’t give any autonomy to regions such as Cornwall as it just centralises power elsewhere |
| What is the West Lothian question? | What to do with non English MPs who sit in the UK parliament and can vote on issues that predominantly affect England. |
| What was the law added to help answer the westlothian question | English votes for English laws 2015 |
| What is an example of where English votes for English laws 2015 hasn’t gone far enough? | Scottish MPs were able to vote down a bill in its later stages to extend Sunday trading in England even though it wouldn’t be rolled out in Scotland |
| What is English votes for English laws 2015 | A bill that stops non English MPs from voting on bills which are predominantly English in its earlier stages |
| Why would people argue we don’t want an English parliament? | Opinion polls show that under 20% of people actually want an English parliament, people don’t want more of their taxes going to politicians, it creates an added layer of democracy and bureaucracy |
| What is another reason for an English parliament? | English culture is under threat from multiculturalism and immigrations and an English parliament will help resolve this. This is something supported by UKIP and the BREXIT party it is more likely to be very anti immigrant and more reactionary |
| Why would an English parliament not fix English culture being under threat from multiculturalism and immigration? | Because people have a higher sense of britishness than they do Englishness, it would be exclusionary and only reflect ‘little England’ |
| Why would regional assemblies be more effective than a parliament? | It would reflect regional identity in a way that currently isn’t being reflecte, would bring power closer to the people |
| What is an example of reflect regional identity not being reflected? | George Osbourne’s pasty tax caused anger in the West Country which shows a regional insensitivity |
| Why would a regional government not be effective? | Not all regions have a strong sense of regional identity, Yorkshire and West Country might but do places like the south east have a regional identity? It could also lead to competitive corporation taxes to lure businesses from one region to another region in the country |
| Why should we have further powers given to regions in England? | Westminster is very London centric, devolved governments could better reflect the problems of specific regions, help prevent excessive differences in living standards, might improve local participation in politics. England is the only region without its own parliament., solved the West Lothian question |
| Arguments against further powers being devolved to England? | It would creat a new layer of government that is expensive, it would create a need for too many elections, creating voter apathy, there are few signs of great demand for further devolution. There is little public appetite for an English Parliament, demonstrated by a strong no vote for a proposed North East Assembly. If an English Parliament was introduced, the role and significance of the UK Parliament would be much reduced, leading to questions over the location of sovereignty |
| What are the positives of further devolution to the other nations? | It may make the break-up of the UK less likely- regions such as Scotland will be given more control over their own affairs so may be less inclined to wish to achieve full independence Currently, under the Barnett formula, England receives less funding from UK taxes per capita than other UK regions. This could be addressed by having a devolved English Parliament |
| What are the arguments against further devolution to the other nations? | Power may end up being too fragmented, leading to possible differences in legislation in different areas and confusion over how laws differ in the different UK regions. There may be arguments over which regions would get a devolved assembly, and which wouldn’t- in some area of the UK there is a weaker regional identity than others |
| What could regional assemblies in England help solve? | Asymmetric devolution as it would create a more federalist structure and reduce the democratic defecit |
| What makes regional assemblies more effective? | There is cross party support for regional assemblies than there is for parliament |
| What is a key argument against regional assemblies | Voters in the north east overwhelmingly rejected a regional assembly in the 2004 referendum, more admin and too much democracy, turnout in Scotland hasn’t been good such as 56% in 2016 |
| Conclusion? | 2 proposals for devolution, could be a third way which is to do nothing at all, regional assemblies seem more positive, many don’t actually care because there are a lot of bigger issues, has covid proved that a top down approach doesn’t work? Regionals assemblies might be more accountable. You need more buy in from more political parties to help with legitimacy such as GM mayor being supported by all parties. |