New Labour major constitutional change - devolution for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and LondonJoy Johnson

Week 9 Devolution

Referendum – the process

Independence Devo-max Status quo http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi

/house_of_commons/newsid_9702000/9702549.stm

Contents

Scotland Wales Northern Ireland London Regional Bodies Key Issues

Texts

King, The British Constitution Alan Trench, Options for Devolution

Finance, Political Quarterly Vol 81, Issue 4, 2010

Morrison, Essential Public Affairs Heffernan, Cowley & Hay,

Developments in British Politics ch 7 (West Lothian Question p126)

Devolved bodies

National Bodies:

Scottish Parliament/Government

Welsh Assembly/Executive

Northern Ireland Assembly

Regional Bodies:

Mayor of London/GLA

Regional Development Agencies

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

Devolution/Independence

Devolution not independence Labour believed that devolution would

protect the union SNP majority govt – referendum 2014 Day to day decisions without needing

formal permission from Westminster Independence would required Act of

Parliament

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

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

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 £

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

SCOTLAND

SNP 69 seats, giving them an overall majority. Labour 37 seats, Conservatives 15, Liberal Democrats five seats Greens two MSPs. Independent MSP Margo Macdonald

First Minister: Alex Salmond Scottish Parliament: 129 MSPs (Members of the Scottish

Parliament) Presiding Officer (= Speaker)

Scotland: Cameron/Clegg Agenda

CSR announced £28.2b. Budget

Enacting the Calman Commission

Scotland Bill:• More devolved powers?• More responsibility?• Greater rights to vary income tax (some

rebellion expected by anti devolutionist Tories

• Right to borrow money

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.

Referendum

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9128459/Vernon-Bogdanor-David-Cameron-should-add-second-question-to-independence-referendum.html

Scotland Bill – Scottish Parliament

http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/scotland/newsid_9417000/9417428.stm

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

Scotland: Where we are now

No Student Tuition Fees Free Care for the Elderly Less enamoured of Privatisation

Scotland – at Westminster

59 MPs representing Scottish constituencies

West Lothian Question?

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)

Heffernan, Cowley & Hay; ‘growing resentment among English voters an answer must be found’

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

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

SCOTLAND:

Referendum on Independence Release of al Megrahi The Barnett Formula The West Lothian Question – again Cuts

Salmond First Minister announces referendum

http://news.stv.tv/politics/252508-alex-salmond-sets-out-government-priorities/

Cameron on independence

Believe in UK head heart and soul

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-17063060

Negotiations on the referendum

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/297373-salmond-reveals-modest-progress-been-made-on-independence-referendum-after-moore-talks/

Why the date matters

Martin Kettle commentary http://www.guardian.co.uk/

commentisfree/2012/mar/07/scottish-referendum-date-matters

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

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.

WALES

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

WALES: Where Next?

Uneasy Labour/Plaid Cymru Coalition

May’s elections

Spending cuts?

Wales Assembly break up

Labour 30 seats Conservatives 14 seats, Plaid Cymru 11 Liberal Democrats five.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland Assembly led by First Minister & Deputy: Peter Robinson (DUP)& Martin McGuinness (Sinn Fein)

They preside over Executive Committee (= Cabinet)

108 MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly)

Voted by form of PR Powers established by 1998 Good Friday

Agreement

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

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

Governance of London

Mayor & Greater London Authority - limited Powers over:

Policing Transport Regeneration & Development Cultural Events Acts as “Ambassador” of LondonLondon Assembly: Scrutinises and questions Mayor’s policies and

actions Could veto budget but would need two thirds

majority

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

Regional Bodies

• Regional Assemblies?

• Regional Development Agencies?

Key Issues for the Future

Devolution: Brake or Accelerator? Scottish Referendum How many “layers” of government? Centralisation v. localism Who controls the purse strings? Voting systems

Seminar Questions

What were/are the reasons for devolution

What are the implications and consequences of devolution

West Lothian Question