Devolution

• Devolution - The transfer of political power from the central government to devolved bodies.
• Devolved powers:

  • Scotland Parliament
  • Northern Ireland Assembly
  • Welsh Assembly
• Central government - Westminster
• Primary legislative power - Authority to make laws on devolved policy order
• Secondary legislation - Secondary legislation is law created by ministers (or other bodies) under powers given to them by an Act of Parliament.
• Quasi-Federalism -> a system of devolution where it is unlikely for power to be returned to central government that is essentially a federal system even if not in constitutional terms.
• Asymmetric devolution - where various regions have been granted unequal amounts of power.
• Scotland Act 2016 - gave Scotland power over regulation of the energy industry, income tax rates + some business taxes.
• Government of Wales Act 1998 - set up an elected Welsh Assembly, purely administrative + and no power to make or pass laws + and no financial control.
• Government of Wales Act 2014 - granted control over various taxes included business taxes + limited powers to borrow money on open markets.
• Good Friday Agreement 1998 - agreed to share power between Irish + British governments.
• EVEL - English Votes for English Laws (solution to West Lothian Question) -> English MPs cannot vote on matters which have been devolved to other parts of the UK
• West Lothian Question. - where MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can vote on certain issues that only affect England, but it doesn't work the other way round.