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Week 10 Devolution

This text explores the devolution of power to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and London under New Labour, including the key issues and political battlegrounds. It also discusses the Scottish Parliament and Government and their devolved powers.

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Week 10 Devolution

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  1. Week 10 Devolution New Labour major constitutional change - devolution for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London Joy Johnson

  2. Contents • Scotland • Wales • Northern Ireland • London • Regional Bodies • Key Issues

  3. Texts • King, The British Constitution • Alan Trench, Options for Devolution Finance, Political Quarterly Vol 81, Issue 4, 2010 • Morrison, Public Affairs p31-42

  4. Devolved bodies • National Bodies: Scottish Parliament/Government Welsh Assembly/Executive Northern Ireland Assembly • Regional Bodies: Mayor of London/GLA Regional Development Agencies

  5. Government in the Nations • UK representative democracy • Two main types of democracy federal and unitary • USA – Federal (states have day to day administrative powers) • Britain – Unitary with centralised powers (Westminster Parliament) • Transfer of power from central government to the nations - devolution

  6. Devolution • Devolution not independence • Labour believed that devolution would protect the union • Day to day decisions without needing formal permission from Westminster • Independence would required Act of Parliament

  7. Scotland: The Road to Devolution • 1707 Act of Union – abolished separate parliaments • 1979 – Referendum did not attract necessary 40% electorate support for devolution (political crisis – vote of no confidence in Labour Government – election of Conservatives first (and only) woman Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher) • Fury at being testing ground for the poll tax • 1989 – constitutional convention made up of civic groups ensuring consensus for devolution • 1997 – 74% support for Scottish Parliament

  8. Political battleground – 1997 election • Mr Major, a staunch believer in the union, warned voters that Labour's plans would amount to the end of 1,000 years of British history. It didn’t stem the political tide against him and he lost to Blair • Blair compared a Scottish parliament to an ‘English parish council’ • Despite this gaffe New Labour won • Blair – was following John Smith’s belief that devolution was the ‘settled will’ of the Scottish people

  9. SCOTLAND: Blair’s Legacy • Scottish Government/Executive: • Scottish Parliament: 1998 Scotland Act devolved decision-making on domestic issues from the Westminster Parliament to Scottish-based bodies Tax-raising powers limited to 3p in the £

  10. SCOTLAND Devolved powers on day to day issues: • Law & Order • Health • Housing • Education • Environment • Farming & Food Not devolved: • Foreign affairs & defence • Main economic, fiscal & financial issues • International development • Social Security & employment

  11. SCOTLAND • Currently SNP-led minority government • 47 SNP MSPs • 46 Labour MSPs • First Minister: Alex Salmond • Scottish Parliament: 129 MSPs (Members of the Scottish Parliament) • Presiding Officer (= Speaker)

  12. Scotland: Cameron/Clegg Agenda CSR announced £28.2b. Budget Enacting the Calman Commission Nov 30: Scotland Bill: • More devolved powers? • More responsibility? • Greater rights to vary income tax (some rebellion expected by anti devolutionist Tories • Right to borrow money

  13. Scotland Bill • Revenue raising (Calman published in June 2009), Holyrood will take charge of half the income tax raised in Scotland. • The UK Treasury would deduct 10p from standard and upper rates of income tax in Scotland and give MSPs the power to decide how to raise cash. • The new powers would be combined with a cut in the block grant, currently about £32bn, which Scotland gets from the UK government. • MSPs are also set to gain control over stamp duty and landfill tax. • 2015

  14. Scotland Bill – Scottish Parliament • http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/scotland/newsid_9417000/9417428.stm

  15. Barnett Formula • Allocates incremental shares in changes to public spending to the devolved administrations on a proportional basis to their population, when there are changes to spending on ‘comparable functions’ in England. • Trench, Political Quarterly p527 • If public expenditure increases in England then it also increases in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland • King, The British Constitution p196

  16. Scotland: Where we are now • No Student Tuition Fees • Free Care for the Elderly • Less enamoured of Privatisation

  17. Scotland – at Westminster • 59 MPs representing Scottish constituencies • West Lothian Question?

  18. West Lothian question • Prior to devolution MPs from all parts of the UK could vote on every measure that came before the House of Commons (even if the measure didn’t affect their part of the nation) • Following devolution Scottish MPs can vote on all matters affecting England, Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland and also on reserved matters that affect Scotland but they cannot vote on any of the wide range of devolved matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament • According to King this makes Scottish MPs effectively ‘eunuchs with regard to most matters that directly affect their own constituents (p201)

  19. Scotland: Life at Holyrood • Sits Tuesdays to Thursdays • Plenary Sessions: meetings of full Parliament • Debates • Motions • First Minister’s Question time • Questions to other Ministers • Decision time (votes) • Backbench MSPs business • Committees

  20. Scottish Parliament electoral system • MSPs are elected using the simple plurality system in single member constituencies. • Weighting towards the representation of constituency MSPs by the list system • Voters have two votes one for constituency the other to elected MSPs from list drawn up by the political parties

  21. SCOTLAND: Where Next? • May’s Elections • Referendum on Independence? • Release of al Megrahi • The Salmond Factor • Cameron, Clegg & Miliband’s Dilemma • The Barnett Formula • The West Lothian Question – again • Cuts • Scotland Bill adjourned in the House until 22.3.11

  22. WALES • Welsh Assembly and Executive • Currently under Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition • First Minister: Carwyn Jones (Lab) • 26 Labour AMs; 13 PlC & Con AMs respectively • 60 AMs (assembly members) • CSR announced £13b. budget

  23. Result of the referendum on more powers • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12653838 • The assembly will continue to have control and more power over the existing 20 devolved subject areas • it will not be able to stray into new terrain. • Welsh minister won’t be able to change the criminal justice system or repeal fox hunting, for example. • the assembly won't be able to levy taxes.

  24. WALES Devolved powers on day to day issues: • Health • Education • Social services • Farming & rural issues • Local government

  25. WALES: Where Next? • Uneasy Labour/Plaid Cymru Coalition • May’s elections • Spending cuts?

  26. NORTHERN IRELAND • Northern Ireland Assembly led by First Minister & Deputy: Peter Robinson (DUP)& Martin McGuinness (Sinn Fein) • They preside over Executive Committee (= Cabinet) • 35 DUP MLAs; 27 Sinn Fein MLAs • 108 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) • Voted by form of PR • CSR announced £9.5b. budget • Powers established by 1998 Good Friday Agreement

  27. Northern Ireland Transferred powers on: • Health, education, social security, environment, farming • Policing and criminal law (recently transferred) Non-transferred powers on: • Taxation, foreign and defence policy

  28. NI Assembly: Where Next? • May’s elections • Polarised leadership • Continuing sectarian violence (?) • Pressures for further transfer of powers • Impact of economic recession

  29. GOVERNANCE OF LONDON • Mayor of London: Boris Johnson • Voted by supplementary vote (preferential voting) • Runs Greater London Authority • London Assembly with 25 AMs (Assembly Members) • Voted by simple plurality plus list system • Budget approx. £3 billion • Financed mainly by central government grants and by £310 precept added to every Londoner’s council tax bill

  30. Governance of London Mayor & Greater London Authority - limited Powers over: • Policing • Transport • Regeneration & Development • Cultural Events • Acts as “Ambassador” of London London Assembly: • Scrutinises and questions Mayor’s policies and actions • Could veto budget but would need two thirds majority

  31. London: Current Issues • The Boris Factor • The Livingstone Fightback • 2012 Mayor Elections • Impact of Recession • Reforms of mayoral/GLA Powers • Relations with stakeholders, ie. police, London boroughs, transport bodies • London 2012

  32. Regional Bodies • Regional Assemblies? • Regional Development Agencies?

  33. Key Issues for the Future • Devolution: Brake or Accelerator? • How many “layers” of government? • Centralisation v. localism • Who controls the purse strings? • Appointed v. elected • Voting systems

  34. Seminar Questions What were/are the reasons for devolution What are the implications and consequences of devolution

  35. Next week • Home Affairs and Ministry of Justice

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