devolution Flashcards
define devolution
- decentralisation of power
federalism
- where government shares power with the states (us)
1998 devolution act
- enabled scottish parliament and welsh and irish assemblies
what did the scottish 1997 referendum ask?
- should scotland have devolution
- if it should have tax varying powers
details of scottish parliament
- 129 mps
- using ams
- has administrative, legislative and local types of devolved power
what are the two issues with scottish parliament?
- west lothian question: should england have devolved parliament? as scottish mps continue to vote on bills affecting england in westminster
- legitimacy of their parliament: 44.7% of electorate backed devolution, turnout of 2003 election was 49%
what were the scottish election turnouts of 2003 and 2021?
2003 = 49%
2021 = 63.5%
details of welsh assembly
- administrative and some legal powers but no financial powers
- ams used, 40 elected by FPTP, 20 by regional party list system
what was the result of the 2021 welsh election?
- plaid cymru 13 seats
- labour 30 seats
- tory 16 seats
what was the result for the 1997 referendum for a welsh assembly?
- 50.3% in favour
what was the welsh turnout in 2003 and 2021?
- 38%
- 47%
what are the issues with the welsh parliament?
- plaid cymru is divided on whether they want independence or not
- only 47% electorate voted in 2021 election, questions its legitimacy
details of the northern ireland assembly
- established after 1998 good friday agreement
- 90 elected members
- use stv electoral system
- suspended 2017 to 2020 due to policy agreements between power sharing executives
- administrative and some financial powers but no legislative powers
what powers does the northern ireland assembly have
- some financial
- administrative
- no legislative
what powers do scottish parliament have
- administrative
- financial
- legislative
what powers do the welsh assembly have
- administrative powers
- some legal powers
- no financial powers
what are the issues with northern ireland’s assembly
- been suspended twice, in 2017 and 2000
- rapid growth of catholic population will change the demographic and political picture in the future
- ira’s historical involvement in violence complicates power sharing with sinn fein
what are the three problems associated with devolution?
- rise of nationalism leads to the inevitability of breakdown of the union of the uk
- political and legal sovereignty is being lost to the regions, devolution is the first step towards federalism
- west lothian question still unresolved as north of england rejected regional assembly 2004
examples of english devolution
- 57 unitary councils
- city mayors
- 25 county councils
scottish devolution referendum stats
- 1997
- 74.3% in favour
- 25.7% not
welsh assembly referendum stats
- 1997
- 50.3% yes, 49.7% no
good friday agreement stats
- 1997
- 50.3% yes, 49.7% no
impact of devolution on the consitution
- unitary to quasi-federal
- westminster cannot legislate on devolved matters without consent of assembly/parliament
- can remove power through an act of parliament
impact of devolution on policy variation
- eg. scotland, ni and wales could manage covid differently to england
- some say it has led to inequality across the uk eg. tuition fees for uni free in scotland but not in uk