Devolution

Question 1

What is devolution?

Answer 1

• transfer of political power (not sovereignty) from central government to subnational one

Question 2

Why has UK devolution been described as asymmetrical?

Answer 2

• devolved bodies have different levels of power

Question 3

What did the Scotland Act 1998 do?

Answer 3

• est. primary legislative powers in certain areas eg health, education.

Question 4

What did the Scotland Act 2012 do?

Answer 4

• tax-raising powers - ability to raise/lower income tax by up to 10p; stamp duty; landfill taxes

Question 5

What did the Scotland Act 2016 do?

Answer 5

• authority over equal opportunities/social issues
• created own laws regarding who could vote

Question 6

What did the Gov of Wales Act 1998 do?

Answer 6

• created official Welsh Assembly
• granted secondary legislative in certain areas eg housing, highways

Question 7

What did the Gov of Wales Act 2006 do?

Answer 7

• proper executive body set up
• requested primary legislative powers if approved by referendum

Question 8

What was the 2011 Referendum?

Answer 8

• Welsh Assembly gained power to enact primary legislation in 20 devolved areas of policy w/64% of vote.

Question 9

What was the Wales Act 2014?

Answer 9

• gained similar tax-raising powers to those of Scotland eg stamp duty, landfill tax

Question 10

What was the Wales Act 2017?

Answer 10

• greater powers overall eg control over own electoral system
• put on similar level of power as Scotland

Question 11

What was the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020?

Answer 11

• changed name of legislature to Senedd Cymru
• gave votes for Welsh parliamentary/local elections to 16-17 year olds
• power over role/use of Welsh language

Question 12

What were the Troubles 1969?

Answer 12

• major divide between unionists/nationalists; made agreement very difficult in devolved gov; suspended/abolished

Question 13

What was direct rule?

Answer 13

• NI governed under Westminster - caused further divide
• devolution/peace would have to come hand in hand.

Question 14

What was the Good Friday Agreement 1998?

Answer 14

• devolution included in GFA with great support
• both unionists/nationalists to be subject to same treatment

Question 15

NI post-1998

Answer 15

• still considerable divide; suspended between 2017-2020 due to collapse of power-sharing agreement between DUP and Sinn Fein; has been suspended for nearly 40% of existence
• therefore, considerably less powerful

Question 16

Overview of Scottish Parliament

Answer 16

• 129 elected members
• AMS electoral system used
• Minority SNP gov in power (2023)
• Humza Yousaf is first minister
• located in Edinburgh (Holyrood)

Question 17

Overview of Senedd

Answer 17

• 60 elected officials
• AMS used
• Labour in power (2023)
• Mark Drakeford first minister
• located in Cardiff

Question 18

Overview of NI Assembly

Answer 18

• 90 elected members
• STV used
• Paul Givan (DUP) as first minister, Michelle O’Neill (SF) as deputy first minister
• Parallel Consent needed for key decisions - more than 50% of both unionists/nationalists needed.
• located in Belfast (Stormont building)

Question 19

What are the different local gov authorities in England?

Answer 19

• 57 unitary councils
• 36 metropolitan boroughs
• 25 county councils
• 188 district, borough, city councils
• combined authorities
• 32 London boroughs
• city mayors

Question 20

What is a unitary council?

Answer 20

• single-tier body responsible for full range of local services
• found in large towns/cities eg Portsmouth

Question 21

What is a metropolitan borough?

Answer 21

• single-tier with broadly similar powers to unitary councils, but formed in 1974
• found in heavily urbanised areas in North/Midlands eg Barnsley

Question 22

What is a county council?

Answer 22

• part of two-tier local authority structure/responsible for key services
• less heavily urbanised areas eg Suffolk

Question 23

What is a combined authority?

Answer 23

• enables group of two or more councils to collaborate/take collective decisions
• 10 including Greater Manchester

Question 24

What is a district, borough or city council?

Answer 24

• part of two-tier responsible for more localised services
• less heavily populated eg New Forest District Council

Question 25

What is a London borough?

Answer 25

• 32 boroughs + Greater London Authority w/25 elected members/mayor

Question 26

What is a city mayor?

Answer 26

• gov has encouraged directly elected city mayors
• Local Gov Act 2000 allowed any local council to hold referendum on intro of directly elected mayor; allowed to intro without referendum now.
• 15 by 2020

Question 27

Should England have its own Parliament?

Answer 27

FOR:
- would complete devolution; remove current asymmetry
- would enable English identity/culture to flourish
- would enable more power to be decentralised from London
- growing calls from some politicians
- has worked well elsewhere in UK
AGAINST:
- England different in size/economy; might not automatically work in larger region
- lacks own national identity
- EVEL addressed West Lothian Question by giving English MPs more control
- considerable expense; weaken role of Westminster
- no evidence of strong public support for it

Question 28

Impact of devolution on UK gov?

Answer 28

• British Constitution - from unitary framework to quasi-federal; Westminster still sovereign/could repeal devolution; sovereignty reduced outside of England.
• Policy variation - reduced control Westminster has on domestic policy beyond England; how four parts handled Covid.
• Alternative voting systems
• Pressure groups - how/where they operate; Scottish Parliament passed law banning smacking of children; increased lobbying of devolved bodies.