Devolution across the UK
Devolution is the process of decentralising political powers from a central government to subnational levels of governance such as regional and local authorities (Charles Hauss), which aims to distribute governance closer to the people directly affected by the decision-making to allow for the decisions to be more localised and turn the decisions would better reflect needs and preferences of specific communities.
Devolution in the United Kingdom traces a gradual shift towards decentralised governance through the establishment of the devolved institutions in Scotland, Wales and the North of Ireland.
Devolution in Scotland refers to the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1998, following the Scotland Act of 1998. The establishment of the Scottish Parliament was seen as a monumental constitutional change that granted Scotland some forms of legislative areas such as education, health and justice while also maintaining its place within the United Kingdom. Devolution in Scotland has led to the emergence of a distinct Scottish political identity and has been a way for local ministers to provide “Scottish salutations to Scottish problems”(Donald Dewar, 1999) that otherwise couldn’t be handled appropriately by Westminister, and has seen the transfer of additional political powers over the years such as the Scotland Act 2016, that granted further devolution of tax and welfare powers. Devolution within Scotland has sparked many questions and debates regarding its constitutional future, such as people calling for Scottish independence, especially since the independence referendum in 2014 which resulted in a majority of 55.3% voting No to Scottish independence. In the grand scheme of things, devolution has significantly reshaped the governance within Scotland and provided Scottish people greater domestic control over policy-making while maintaining its ties with the UK.
Devolution in Wales is a result of the establishment of the Welsh Assembly that is now formerly known as the Welsh Parliament since 1998. This was a significant milestone in Welsh governance that granted the Welsh parliament legislative powers over areas such as health, education and transportation and serves as the primary legislative body for Wales that is responsible for passing laws on devolved matters. Devolution in Wales has provided the Welsh people with a greater autonomy and decision-making authority over domestic affairs that has contributed to the development of a distinct Welsh political identity. Through the year’s devolution in Wales has evolved due to the Wales Act 2014 and subsequent legislation powers including taxation and borrowing powers that allowed for the Welsh Parliament to change the rate of income tax. Devolution in Walse has sparked conversation of independence although the support remains lower compared to Scotland as independence is seen as a largely dormant political issue. Overall devolution has transformed governance within Wales by empowering the Welsh people and promoting a greater sense of national identity.
Devolution in Northern Ireland centres on the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly which was a key result of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The Good Friday agreement is seen as a historic agreement that aimed to bring an end to the decades of conflict within Northern Ireland and foster power-sharing arrangements between Nationalist and Unionist communities with a First and Deputy minister from the two leading parties leading the executive. Devolution in Northern Ireland has granted the Assembly legislative powers over a wide range of devolved matters, including education, health and justice although the process has faced challenges, including long periods of suspension due to political disagreements and a lack of ability to compromise over key political decisions and the legacy of sectarian tensions. However, as of 2024, Stormont has returned from a 24 months of political paralysis. As stated within the Good Friday agreement Northern Ireland is a part of the UK and can be changed at any point with a referendum if the people decide to unify with the Republic, this has been a difficult subject as Nationalists and Unionists have very strong opposing opinions on the matter making it a difficult topic throughout the North. The success of devolution within Northern Ireland depends entirely on what is believed of what its introduction was intended to do. If it was to reduce the amount of violence within Northern Ireland then it has been extremely successful however if it intended to have a completely functioning executive it has been completely unsuccessful. (Cathy Gormley-Heenan)
There are many benefits to devolution in modern-day politics as it empowers local communities as smaller local subnational levels of government allow for greater community involvement as residents have opportunities to voice their opinions, share ideas and contribute to the shape of the democratic process of their communities. Devolution allows for enhanced accountability as local leaders are directly responsible for their constituents
In conclusion, the establishment of devolved institutions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has empowered communities to shape their domestic affairs while upholding ties with the rest of the UK. Devolution promotes engagement, accountability and allows for tailored decisions to reflect the needs of the locals while promoting democracy.
Bibliography
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“Devolution of Power in the United Kingdom – Engelsk 2 – NDLA.” Ndla.no, ndla.no/subject:6e2e2319-cb8a-4dd2-b382-e30f001633bb/topic:f61e086f-7eec-4717-8b46-54f19e54ff0a/topic:1dd28c78-788b-4587-a691-e625a13cfe82/resource:7d909653-5287-4030-8c40-985d49f24772. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.
Hauss, Charles. “Devolution | Government and Politics | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/devolution-government-and-politics.
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McCormack, Jayne . “NI’s Government Has Returned Stormont – What You Need to Know.” BBC News, 30 Jan. 2024, www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-67726389.
Nyatanga, Darryn . “Welsh Independence: Can Brexit Awaken the Sleeping Dragon?” LSE BREXIT, 4 June 2020, blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2020/06/04/welsh-independence-can-brexit-awaken-the-sleeping-dragon/.
Torrance, David. “Devolution in Northern Ireland.” Elections in Northern Ireland, vol. 8439, 2020, researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8439/CBP-8439.pdf.Whysall, Alan . “Devolution Returns to Northern Ireland.” The Constitution Unit Blog, 6 Feb. 2024, constitution-unit.com/2024/02/06/devolution-returns-to-northern-ireland/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.
Posted on 12th February 2024
This Blog offers a comprehensive overview of devolution in Britain, highlighting its impact on Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The author effectively highlights the significant impact the establishment of devolved institutions has on local communities. I found the discussion of Scotland particularly intriguing I found the discussion on Scotland particularly engaging, especially the examination of the Scottish Parliament’s role in addressing local issues and the ongoing debate about independence following the 2014 referendum as well as the section on Northern Ireland as the author explains the complex nature of the power sharing agreement. Overall, this blog post is very well structured and informative, the way in which this post is written makes it easy to understand quite a complex part of British politics.