Develoution

• Devolved powers

  • agriculture
  • environment
  • Income tax
  • education
  • health
  • transport
  • justice
  • policing
• Reserved powers

  • defence and national security
  • foreign policy, including relations with the EU
  • fiscal, economic and monetary systems
  • common market for British goods and services
  • employment legislation
  • social security
• Referendum in Scotland over devolution - majority voted Yes


  1997
• Scotland Act 1998


  Gave the Scottish Parliament primary legislative powers in a number of domestic areas e.g. health, education and transport. It could also vary the rate of income tax by up to 3p in the pound - known as the Scottish variable rate
• Scotland Act 2012

  Transferred tax-raising powers to the Scottish Parliament e.g. the ability to raise or lower income tax by up to 10p in the pound - the Scottish rate of income tax. Allowed the Scottish government to borrow up to £2 billion a year
• Scotland Act 2016

  Devolves further powers e.g. abortion law, control over road signs and onshore oil extraction. Allows Holyrood to change its electoral system subject to a 2/3 vote by the Scottish Parliament
• The new legislatures act as policy laboratories - e.g. the Scottish first smoking ban
• The use of proportional electoral systems in the new assemblies has resulted in UK politics becoming much more pluralistic
• Devolution has not protected Scotland from being taken out of the EU against the clear views of the majority (62%) of Scottish voters in the 2016 referendum, nor from the "hard" form of Brexit imposed by the UK Government
• Choices about managing the economic benefit of Scotland's oil and gas have also rested with the UK Government. Over the last 50 years, the UK has received £396 billion in revenue from North Sea production in real terms
• Devolved powers in Ireland

  • agriculture
  • environment
  • education
  • health
  • transport
  • enterprise, trade and investment
• The Troubles


  Period of sectarian violence beginning in the late 1960s that saw much of Northern Ireland affected by terrorism including bombings and assassinations. Violence carried out by both communities - Unionist/Protestant who wanted Ulster to remain part of the UK and Catholic/Nationalist who wanted a united Ireland
• Northern Ireland executive

  Led jointly by a first minister and deputy first minister. The first minister is from the largest party in the Assembly and the deputy first minister from the second largest party. Ministerial posts are allocated on a proportional basis according to party strength. This ensures power sharing, with both unionists and nationalists represented in government
• Good Friday Agreement


  Promise of a return to devolved government. Measures designed to embed the peace process including prisoner release for convicted paramilitary terrorists, reductions in the number of British troops in NI and civil rights measures. Allowed for the creation of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. It was approved by a referendum in 1998 by 71% to 29%
• 2017-2020 - Northern Ireland Assembly is suspended due to a breakdown in relations between the DUP and Sinn Fein following the controversy of the DUP's handling of a green energy scandal. During this time, NI was largely governed by its civil service BUT Westminster used the absence of a functioning assembly to extend same-sex marriage and legalise abortion in the province, both of which were areas of devolved responsibility
• Whereas Scotland and Wales have seen the powers enhanced considerably since 1997, the Northern Ireland Assembly has not had its powers added to substantially since its inception e.g. it had limited tax-raising powers
• Devolved powers in Wales

  • agriculture
  • environment
  • education
  • health
  • transport
  • fire and rescue services
• Referendum in Wales over devolution, vote in favour but by a very small margin - 50.3% yes, 49.7% no

  1997
• Government of Wales Act 1998

  Set up the Welsh Assembly - lacked primary legislative powers but ability to devise secondary legislation in specified areas e.g. agriculture. Such powers = equivalent to those previously held by the secretary of state for Wales
• Government of Wales Act 2006

  Enabled the Assembly to request primary legislative powers from Westminster if approved by a referendum. Also set up an executive body - the Welsh government
• Referendum in Wales supports the transfer of greater legislative powers by a large margin - 63% to 37%. Welsh Assembly gained the power to enact primary legislation in 20 devolved areas of policy e.g. health and transport


  2011
• Wales Act 2014


  Grants more powers to the Welsh govt - major transfer of tax-raising powers over areas such as stamp duty, business rate and landfill tax
• Wales Act 2017


  More powers to Cardiff e.g. control over its electoral system subject to a 2/3 majority in the govt. Put Welsh revolution on the same footing as Scotland e.g. the ability to vary the rate of income tax by up to 10p in the pound and the establishment of the Welsh Revenue Authority BUT excluding the power to set income tax rates/bands and the lack of control over policing and justice
• Some dislike that the Welsh government depends on UK government funds as any changes in the allocation of funds can impact the Welsh government's ability to implement its policies
• Arguments for formal devolution in England

  • It would be a logical extension of the creation of devolved assemblies, which on the whole have worked well and proved popular
  • It would end the current asymmetry in the UK
  • Regional assemblies would enable decision making to be brought closer to voters and reduce the centralisation of power in Westminster and thus, the dominance of London over English politics as any parliament or assembly would likely be situated outside of London
  • It would resolve the West Lothian Question whereby Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs currently have a vote on matters that affect only England whereas MPs from England are unable to vote on devolved matters
  • It would give clear expression and priority to English identity and interests. Wales and Scotland are more left-wing in their political preferences whereas England is more right-wing and this could be reflected in an English parliament and its legislation. It would enable further political divergence
  • Growing support for the idea in recent years, primarily among Conservative politicians
• Other ways to resolve the West Lothian Question have failed e.g. Under English Votes for English Laws (introduced in 2015), an extra stage was added to the law-making progress that allowed English MPs to block anything they did not agree with in bills deemed to be 'England only'. But it was abolished in July 2021 as the govt argued it was time-consuming, complex and hindering the legislative process - example of parliamentary sovereignty
• How should England be governed?


  • An English Parliament
  • Elected regional Assemblies
  • English votes for English laws
• Blair's govt planned to create directly elected regional assemblies with limited executive functions in the 8 English regions outside London but these plans dropped when a lack of public support was displayed for English devolution via the 2004 referendum on a north-eastern assembly - 78% voted no
• Arguments against formal devolution in England


  • England lacks the national identity of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
  • There is no widespread public support for such a measure - referendum in 2004 to set up an elected assembly for the Northeast was rejected by 78% of voters and many places have rejected the introduction of directly elected mayors
  • Regional assemblies would add extra cost and bureaucracy to the UK political system
  • An English Parliament would undermine the role and purpose of the Westminster Parliament and would raise the issue of what the purpose of Westminster is, which could lead to more conflict between the UK and English PMs
  • An English Parliament would not solve the asymmetry of devolution as any English parliament would dominate a federal UK as it contains 85% of the population and generates the bulk of the national GDP
• Arguments in favour of devolution

  • It has strengthened the union by creating a 'best of both worlds' scenario - devolved regions are autonomous in many different policy areas but benefit from being part of a much larger nation in the areas of defence and international trade. This scenario has satisfied calls for greater autonomy e.g. Scotland voted to remain in the UK in the 2014 referendum by 55% to 45%
  • It has been vital in consolidating the peace process in Northern Ireland
  • It has enabled greater legislative autonomy for the regions and enabled them to adopt policies best suited to the area. E.g. Covid was dealt with differently according to individual infection and case rates in each devolved nation
  • It has allowed regional political differences to be recognised e.g. Scotland = more left-leaning and has increased the income tax rate for the highest earners to 46p in the pound for those earning over £150,000 rather than 45p as in the rest of the UK
  • The powers of devolved assemblies have been expanded since 1999 and has proved popular with voters e.g. Wales referendum results 1997 compared with 2011
  • It has enabled devolved assemblies to act as 'legislative laboratories' - administrations can learn from policies launched elsewhere and replicate them if they are effective e.g. Scotland's 2006 smoking ban in enclosed public spaces was extended to Wales, NI and England
• Arguments against devolution

  • It has undermined the union - devolution has encouraged demands for greater separation and full independence e.g. result of the Scottish referendum in 2014 was very close and given many the confidence that they can run their own affairs better without Westminster involvement. SNP called 2nd independence referendum (though been blocked), it demonstrated how devolution had not quelled demands for full independence
  • Brexit highlighted divisions within the UK - both Scotland and NI voted heavily to remain but were allowed no direct role in Brexit negotiations
  • Tensions in NI remain and devolution remains fragile e.g. shown by the suspension of the NI Assembly from 2017 to 2020 and the violent protests against the Northern Ireland Protocol, part of the Brexit agreement
  • It has led to inequalities in the provision and cost of public services within the UK