1.3 The role and powers of devolved bodies in the UK Flashcards
Local government in England
Two-tier system created - based on county and borough councils - at a lower level, district councils
1990s - some areas moved to single tier of local govt - ‘unitary authorities’
Local govt in London before assembly and mayoralty
- Had a single authority - the Greater London Council - from 1965
Metropolitan councils in England
6 - West Midlands, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, Greater Manchester and Merseyside
- Gained a reputation for high spending and were abolished by the Thatcher govt in 1986
What did the Blair govt establish, in terms in local devolution?
- Elected mayor, supported by the Great London Assembly in 2000
- Share oversight of policy areas such as policing, transport and economic development
Impact of London mayor
First mayor - Ken Livingstone - introduced congestion charge for drivers entering central London - in response to increased traffic and air pollution.
By 2015, how many further urban areas decided to adopt the elected mayor model?
16 - including Bristol, Liverpool and Greater Manchester
How did the Blair govt try to extend regional decision-making?
- By setting up unelected Regional Development Agencies - to promote economic development on behalf of central govt
- Attempt to go further by creating elected regional assemblies failed to win support
- Govt slimmed down plans for referendums on regional assemblies to proposals for just 3 in the NE, NW and Yorkshire and Humber
- In the end - one referendum held - in the NE - 78% ‘no’ vote in 2004
What did the coalition govt do to Labour’s Regional Development Agencies?
Abolished them - but tried to breath life into the concept of regionalism by combining local authorities in so-called ‘city regions’
- Each would be led by a directly elected ‘metro mayor’ - some of these bodies are located in the north and are intended to develop what George Osborne called the ‘northern powerhouse’
‘Northern powerhouse’ plan
- Plan to drive regional growth through improved transport links and investment in science and innovation
New city regions for ‘metro mayors’ introduced by coalition
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- Greater Manchester
- Liverpool
- Sheffield
- Tees Valley
- West Midlands
- West of England
Powers of metro mayors
Vary but include developing an economic growth strategy and making policy on housing, skills and transport
Discussions of the idea of an English parliament
- Little public support for this - isn’t espoused by any major political party
- Evidence that the cultural sense of ‘Englishness’ is strengthening, partly in reaction to perceived advantages enjoyed by Scotland under devolution
- However - is yet to translate into a serious political demand for England - EVEL was intended to stem demands for a more fundamental overhaul of devolution arrangements - before it was repealed
Devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (summary)
- Involved the transfer of powers over certain policy areas to new, sub-national bodies
- Westminster retained control of ‘reserved power’ - defence, foreign policy, constitutional matters, welfare benefits, important areas of economic policy including trade, the currency and interest rates
Scottish nationalism
- Has a strong nationalist movement - so they receive more powers
- Had a history of existence as a separate state before devolution - different legal system and educational systems
Welsh nationalism
- Nationalism is politically weaker - more are concerned with protecting cultural identity than winning independence
Nationalism in Northern Ireland
- Faces different issues due to background of violent division between unionist and nationalist communities - 1960s-90s - the troubles
- Creation of a power-sharing form is seen as critical to restoring peace
Scottish Parliament (Holyrood)
- Set up in 1999
- 129 MSPs - elected every 5 years using AMS
- Scottish govt devises and implements policy on matters devolved to Scotland, and proposes an annual budget to the parliament
Main devolved powers in Scotland
- Education
- Economic development
- Environment and planning
- Justice
- Local government
- Some aspects of transport policy
- Police and fire services
- Housing
- Health and social services
- Agriculture, fisheries and forestry
- Tourism, sport and culture
Can also set income tax by 3p above or below the UK rate
How has Holyrood developed distinctive positions for Scotland on social policy?
E.g. - Scottish students don’t pay tuition fees
E.g. - free nursing care for the elderly
Calman Commission
Set up under Brown - led to the granting of additional power in Scotland, in 2012, including:
- Taxation powers - right to set an income tax rate and control of stamp duty and landfill tax
- Borrowing powers
- Regulation of air weapons
- Drink driving alcohol limits
2014 independence referendum
- Followed by the establishment of the Smith Commission - led to further powers being transferred in 2015-16
The main areas relate to: - taxation and welfare
- New powers include control over air passenger duty, licensing of onshore oil and gas prospecting and some welfare benefits
- It means that parliament had control over taxation representing 36% of devolved expenditure - compared with less than 10% previously
Senedd Crymru and Welsh govt
- Based in Cardiff
- National Assembly of Wales dates back to 1999 - became a parliament in 2020
- Members of Senedd - elected by AMS - 60 members
- Welsh govt originally located within Assembly - but the two were formally separated in 2006
- Govt headed by a first minister - Mark Drakeford - Labour - from 2018
Powers devolved to Wales
- Education and training
- Economic development
- Planning (except major energy infrastructure)
- Local government
- Transport
- Fire and rescue services
- Housing
- Health
- Agriculture, fisheries and forestry
- Culture, including sport and the welsh language
Unlike Scotland - police and justice not devolved
