UK Government Flashcards
when was devolution first proposed and by who?
In 1997 in Labour’s manifesto.
which acts devolved power to Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales?
Scotland Act 1998
Government of Wales Act 1998
Northern Ireland Act 1999
Greater London Authority Act 1999.
which devolved body has the most power?
Scotland
what did the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum do for devolution?
Around this time, Scotland were given more devolved powers to satisfy their desires for nationalism
what act gave Scottish Parliament tax raising powers, which can be seen as fiscal devolution?
Scotland Act 2016 have Scotland tax raising powers that can be considered fiscal devolution.
2 cool facts about the devolved economics of Scotland
- they have the right to 50% of all VAT in Scotland.
- Holyrood raises around 60% of the money it spends.
what did the scottish parliament recently do to taxes?
They increased the higher and top rates of income tax.
what constitutional powers do Scotland have?
controlling Parliament’s composition and choosing the electoral system.
the 2016 Scotland Act enshrined the Sewel Convention into law. What was the Sewel Convention?
Westminster must have permission from Scottish Parliament before legislating on devolved matter
what was the significant Supreme Court ruling about Scotland’s devolution in 2022?
that the Scotland Act does not give Scottish Parliament the power to unilaterally legislate for an independence referendum.
this shows the power of the UK Supreme court to clarify the different powers of different parts of the political system, and the validity of parliamentary sovereignty.
potential future reforms for Scotland
( i couldn’t think of any so these are sort of wishy washy)
take the country to ‘devomax’
lots of polls suggest that if there was another referendum, the Scottish public would vote for independence.
what is the nationalist sentiment like in Wales?
Very little.
what was the turnout and result of the 1997 Welsh referendum?
50% turnout and 50.5% majority.
what happened after the 2011 welsh referendum?
64% of people voted for primary legislative power, showing an increase in nationalist sentiment.
What did the 2017 Wales Act do?
Gave Wales further powers and renamed the Welsh Assembly as Welsh Parliament.
since 1997, Labour have always been in power in Wales.
yes, thats true
Can Wales control their law and order?
No, but Scotland can
what can wales do economically?
Collect 10% of Wales’ income taxes and can vary the bands and rates for this 10%.
potential welsh reforms
controlling law and order
how does the welsh public currently feel about independence?
growing support, with polls showing this to be over 30%/
when and why was devolution given to NI?
Introduced in 1998 as part of the good friday agreement.
what happens to the executive in NI as a result of power sharing agreements?
Executive must be led by the first minister and deputy first minister, causing key decisions to require cross community support.
is the government stable in stormont? why?
government in Stormont fragile, with frequent suspensions where parties refuse to work together. this is because of the power sharing.
example of suspended governments in NI
The NI government is currently shut down because the DUP refused to nominate a speaker and form a government with O’Neil, leader of Sinn Fein, as First Minister.
what happens when NI government is suspended?
government functions are assumed by Westminster, which can potentially lead to significant changes, such as the legalisation of same sex marriage.
what powers does NI lack?
NI lacks major tax raising powers.
what type of devolution does NI have?
service devolution
is further devolution likely in NI?
Further devolution is unlikely as unionists are very opposed and it is estimated that Catholics now outnumber protestants in NI. However a referendum on reunification is possible.
what power does wales have when it comes to taxes?
Wales collects 10% of Wales’ income taxes and can vary the bands and rates for this 10%.
when were powers devolved to England?
1998 in the Greater London Authority Act.
why are there no regional England assemblies?
new labour proposed having regional assemblies but dropped this after a 78% no vote in a 2004 referendum.
examples of places with ‘metro mayors’
Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield. Andy Burnham of Manchester challenged the government during COVID, suggesting they had some real power.
how many city regions have been created?
7
examples that some regions were unhappy with city regions
Hartlepool and stoke have scrapped them and returned to traditional local government.
How does London have the most devolved powers in England?
it is controlled directly by an elected mayor and elected London Assmebly
what does the Greater London Assembly have power over?
some responsibility over policing, transport and economic development. e.g. Ken Livingstone introduced the congestion charge and free travel for young people.
why are city region deals less substantial than what other devolved bodies got?
Only administrative powers with control over implementation rather than legislation.
when and why was EVEL introduced?
EVEL was introduced in 2015 to tackle the west lothian question, which allowed English MPs to veto laws only affecting England, though they can’t make their own laws.
