Lecture 5 Devolution: A Disunited Kingdom

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Lecture 5Devolution A Disunited Kingdom?

• Dr Tom Quinn
• GV204 The New British Politics
• 10 November 2009

2
The Unitary State in the UK (1)

• The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
  Ireland
• Act of Union 1707 England (and Wales) Scotland
• Act of Union 1800 Great Britain Ireland
• 1921-2 Partition of Ireland
• Irish Free State Northern Ireland

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The Unitary State in the UK (2)

• Unitary but not uniform
• Retention of distinctive Scottish institutions
  education, legal, church
• 1921-72 Devolution in N. Ireland
• Exclusion of Catholic (Irish) minority
• Direct rule from 1972 until Good Friday Agreement
  (stillborn initiatives in between)

4
The Rise of Celtic Nationalisms

• 1960s/1970s Rise of Scottish nationalism
• 1979 Defeated referendums in Scotland and Wales
• 1980s Thatcher Govt unintentionally spurred
  Scottish nationalism
• Labour Party again fearful of SNP
• Devolution to call SNPs bluff

5
New Labour and Devolution (1)Referendums in
Scotland Wales 1997
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New Labour and Devolution (2)

• Scotland Act 1998, Wales Act 1998
• Legislative devolution in Scotland
• Executive/administrative devolution in Wales
• Diceyian doctrine upheld White Paper,
  Scotlands Parliament
• The UK Parliament is and will remain sovereign
  in all matters
• Delegation of sovereignty to Scotland

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Devolution Policy Areas
Scottish Parliament
Westminster Parliament

• Health
• Education
• Agriculture fisheries
• Economic development
• Environment
• Civil law
• Criminal justice
• Tourism
• Road/passenger transport
• Arts sport

• International treaties (incl. EU)
• Defence
• Immigration
• Macroeconomic policy currency
• Overseas trade
• Energy
• Employment
• Social security
• Air/rail transport
• Abortion

8
New Institutions in Scotland
9
Scottish Parliamentary Elections 1999-2007
Note Votes is average of constituency votes
and regional votes
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Welsh Assembly Elections 1999-2007
Note Votes is average of constituency votes
and regional votes
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Northern Ireland War Peace

• 1921-72 Devolved Govt in NI Unionist domination
• 1969-98 The Troubles
• 1994-96 IRA cease-fire
• 1998 Good Friday Agreement

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Good Friday Agreement

• Power-sharing institutions
• Decommissioning of terrorist arms
• Police reform
• Regulation of marches
• Release of paramilitary prisoners
• Principle of consent
• NI remains in UK but future referendum to join
  Republic of Ireland

• Power-sharing in NI (consociationalism)
• First and Dep. First Ministers (DUP SF)
• Executive grand coalition
• 10 members 4 DUP 2 UUP 3 SF 1 SDLP
• 108-seat assembly (PR)
• Special majorities
• North-South Ministerial Council (NI-ROI)
• Council of the Isles

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Good Friday Referendums 1998
NB Referendum in ROI included proposal to amend
Irish Constitution
14
Northern Ireland Assembly Elections 1998-2007
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Path to Peace 1998-2007

• GFA took 9 years to implement
• Arguments over IRA weapons, policing, unionists
  commitment to power-sharing
• Institutions repeatedly collapsed
• Moderate parties (UUP SDLP) supplanted by
  radicals (DUP SF)
• but it was needed to get them on board!
• NI devolution now in place

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End of Parliamentary Sovereignty?

• Dicey Sovereignty concentrated at Westminster
• Power devolved is power retained
• Quasi-federalism difficult for Westminster to
  revoke power but not yet fully federal
• Future problem West Lothian question
• Willingness of SNP executive to explore limits of
  its authority in Scotland

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Conclusion

• UK 2008 A union state rather than a unitary
  state?
• Quasi-federalism?
• West Lothian question(s)
• The English question
• Is the UK destined to break up?