1.3 The role and power of devolved bodies Flashcards
1
Q
6
Describe the features of UK devolution
A
- entrenched via referendums
- Each of devolved national administrations have elected assembly and executive, drawn from assembly
- ‘sharing powers’ - reserved and devolved matters
- powers, but not sovereignty, transferred to devolved bodies
- ‘Barnett formula’
- asymmetric e.g. Scot has control over VAT revenue, but not Wal and NI
2
Q
2
Describe the funding of devolved bodies
A
- Funding for devolved services initially solely came from central govt, but have increasingly gained control over income tax altering its revenues
- Size of devolution grants calculated using Barnett Formula in Treasury - higher public expenditure in devolved nations as they have greater needs than England
3
Q
5
Describe the key features of Scottish devolution
A
- 129-member parliament elected by AMS
- holds primary legislative powers
- most powerful devolved body (due to high nationalism in Scotland)
- subnational party dominates in GEs in Scotland
- Permanent feature of UK constitution - implies enjoys more power than mere devolution
4
Q
9 - don’t need all
List examples of devolved powers in Scotland
A
- local govt
- housing
- police
- elections
- education
- health e.g. COVID
- tax-varying powers (initially set at 3p, expanded to 10p in 2012)
- abortion laws, speed limit, air passenger duty; from 2016
- has control over VAT revenue, unlike Wales and NI
5
Q
3
Describe reserved/excepted matters
A
- matters where UK Parliament holds exclusive power to legislate
- inlcudes FP + immigration
- UK Govt vetoed Gender Recognition BIll 2022 arguing that it was incompatible with Equality Act 2010
6
Q
2
Describe the constitutional impact of Scottish devolution
A
- SNP rise in support - 69/129 MSPs (2011), carried over to GE with 56/59 MPs (2015)
- Greater demands for independence
7
Q
6
List policy examples of Scottish Exec/Parliament
A
- First place in UK to introduce smoking ban in 2006 - policy experiment
- offers free uni education to Scottish residents
- voting age reduced to 16 in local/devolved elecs + referendums
- medical prescriptions free from 2011
- Scotland had 4 levels in COVID response, England had 5
- introduced increased alcohol price of 50p (now 65p) per unit in 2018 to discourage excessive drinking after 2016 NHS survey found sales per adult were 17% higher than in England/Wales - region sensitive
8
Q
3
Describe the key features of Welsh devolution
A
- Less powerful than Scotland (indepdence support has rarely polled above 10%)
- 60-member Parliament elected via AMS
- holds primary legislative power (from 2011)
9
Q
5
Describe the change over time in the devolved powers/constitutional status of Wales
A
- Government of Wales Act 2006 - separated exec from legislature
- 2011 Welsh Devolution Referendum - voted in favour of granting primary legislative powers on all devolved matters
- Wales Act 2014 - devolved greater tax powers (e.g. stamp duty)
- Wales Act 2017 - tax-varying powers and held permament status in UK
- Changed name from ‘assembly to ‘parliament’ in 2020
10
Q
4
List policy examples in devolved Wales
A
- Wales first part of UK to introduce single-use plastics in 2011
- Declared climate emergency in 2019
- 2021, announced targeted green investment of £1.8bn over 3 year period
- 20mph roads
11
Q
5
Describe key features of Northern Ireland devolution
A
- Power-sharing executive to maintain peace
- 71% yes vote in 1998 GFA referendum
- 90-member assembly
- Regularly suspended - direct rule from Westminster
- Subnational parties exclusively hold seats in GEs in NI
12
Q
4
Describe the problems of the NI Assembly/Executive
A
- Assembly/Executive suspended from 2002-2007 after police raided SF offices
- Assembly suspended from 2017-20 as Martin McGuinness resigned over Foster refusal to apologise after Cash for Ash Scandal; forced Foster to resign
- Brexit caused constitutional problems as withdrawal agreement has led to customs checks on some items moving between GB and NI
- No executive/assembly 2022-24 as DUP refuse to form govt
13
Q
1
Describe the powers of the devolved NI assembly/executive
A
Primary legislative powers in education, housing, policing, etc
14
Q
2
List policy examples of devolved NI
A
- Human Trafficking Act (2015) - designed to prevent human trafficking to NI and provide support for victims
- Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (2016) - provides legal definition of bullying and requires schools to provide policies against it
15
Q
4
Describe the ‘Chuckle Brothers’
A
- Ian Paisley, DUP First Minister
- Martin McGuinness, SF Deputy First Minister
- Close relationship after years of violent hostility
- Demonstrates effectiveness of NI devolution
16
Q
5
Describe the features of English devolution
A
- No English Parliament (82% of Westminster seats are in England)
- EVEL 2015-21
- Introduction of directly-elected mayors beyond London from 2017
- Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2012 - allowed for police commissioners
- Asymmetric - London mayor responsible for police, Tees Valley has separate PC&C
17
Q
3
List the positives of directly-elected mayors
A
- Greater accountability and transparency in local-decision making
- More opportunities to exercise democracy
- Region-senstive policies
18
Q
2
Describe Andy Burnham background
A
- Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017-
- Prominent figure - former cabinet minister
19
Q
4
Describe the powers of the GM Mayor
A
- Roles of PC&C Commissioner subsumed into Mayoral role
- Transport
- Controls £6bn health and social care budget
- Adult skills (introduced later)
20
Q
3
Describe the policies of Andy Burnham
A
- ‘King of North’ for winning £65m in business support after Tier 3 restricitons imposed on GM after £22m proposed
- Capped adult bus fares at £2 in 2022
- Bus public ownership plan by 2025 (challlenged by rotala and stagecoach but mayor won)
21
Q
6
Describe Ben Houchen
A
- Conservative Tees Valley mayor since 2017
- Renationalised Teeside airport
- Accusations of corruption at Teesworks freeport
- Won 39.5% in 1st round vote in 2017, won 73% in 2021
- Turnout increased from 21% (2017) to 34% (2021)
- Member of HoL
22
Q
4
Describe limits to directly-elected mayors (metro mayors)
A
- asymmetric - London mayor has powers over planning, NE will not
- Failed to reinvogorate democratic participation - Andy Street re-elected mayor of West Midlands in 2021 on 31% turnout
- Failure of referendums
- In 2022 Bristol voted to abolish position of elected mayor by 59% to 41% (on turnout of just 29%)
23
Q
3
Describe the failures of referendums with respect to directly-elected mayors
A
- Localism Act 2011 meant to allow local govts to hold refs on elected mayors
- Yet by 2022, 37/54 proposals had been rejected
- Now imposed by govt due to levelling up programme e.g. North East Devolution Deal
24
Q
4 - (1) (0) (0) (2)
Describe the successes of devolution
see 5.2 cards
A
Very similar to cards on 5.2
-
met demands for devolution evidenced in referenda
- esp after centralisation/failures of Con rule
- success evidenced by granting of further devolution
- metro mayors address asymettry and have been mostly popular
-
devolution has maintained unity of UK
- recognised rights of other nations while maintaining unitary constitution + ‘devo max’ arg prevented ‘yes’ vote
- Welsh independence support remains low
25
Q
5 - (1) (0) (0) (3) (1)
Describe the failures of devolution
see 5.2 cards
A
Very similar to cards on 5.2
-
Failures of EVEL and metro mayors
- failed to meet democratic deficit with low turnouts
- NI Exec/Assembly regularly suspended
- turnouts lower than in GEs
-
devolution is stepping stone to independence
- conflict over devolved matters exacerbated by Brexit
- Constiutional conflicts e.g. Gender Recognition Bill 2022
- fuelled nationalist support
- Disparities in response to importance issues e.g. COVID level-system
