Devolution in the United Kingdom

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In the United Kingdom, devolution (Scottish Gaelic: fèin-riaghlaidh, Welsh: datganoli) refers to the statutory granting of powers from the Parliament of the United Kingdom to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the London Assembly and to their associated executive bodies the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and in England, the Greater London Authority and Combined authorities.

Devolution differs from federalism in that the devolved powers of the subnational authority ultimately reside in central government, thus the state remains, de jure, a unitary state. Legislation creating devolved parliaments or assemblies can be repealed or amended by central government in the same way as any statute.

The United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland. (click to enlarge)

Irish home rule

The issue of Irish home rule was the dominant political question of British politics at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

Earlier in the 19th century, Irish politicians like Daniel O'Connell had demanded a repeal of the Act of Union 1800 and a return to two separate kingdoms and parliaments, united only in the personal union of the monarch of Great Britain and Ireland. In contrast to this, demands for home rule called for autonomy for Ireland within the United Kingdom, with a subsidiary Irish parliament subject to the authority of the parliament at Westminster. This issue was first introduced by the Irish Parliamentary Party led by Isaac Butt, William Shaw and Charles Stewart Parnell.

Over the course of four decades, four Irish Home Rule Bills were introduced into the British Parliament:

Northern Ireland

Map showing Northern Ireland
Stormont Parliament Building, home of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Home Rule came into effect for Northern Ireland in 1921 under the Fourth Home Rule Act. The Parliament of Northern Ireland established under that act was prorogued (the session ended) on 30 March 1972 owing to the destabilisation of Northern Ireland upon the onset of the Troubles in late 1960s. This followed escalating violence by state and paramilitary organisations following the suppression of civil rights demands by Northern Ireland Catholics.

The Northern Ireland Parliament was abolished by the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, which received royal assent on 19 July 1973. A Northern Ireland Assembly was elected on 28 June 1973 and following the Sunningdale Agreement, a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive was formed on 1 January 1974. This collapsed on 28 May 1974, due to the Ulster Workers' Council strike. The Troubles continued.

The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975–1976) and second Northern Ireland Assembly (1982–1986) were unsuccessful at restoring devolution. In the absence of devolution and power-sharing, the UK Government and Irish Government formally agreed to co-operate on security, justice and political progress in the Anglo-Irish Agreement, signed on 15 November 1985. More progress was made after the ceasefires by the Provisional IRA in 1994 and 1997.[1]

The 1998 Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement), resulted in the creation of a new Northern Ireland Assembly, intended to bring together the two communities (nationalist and unionist) to govern Northern Ireland.[2] Additionally, renewed devolution in Northern Ireland was conditional on co-operation between the newly established Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of Ireland through a new all-Ireland body, the North/South Ministerial Council. A British-Irish Council covering the whole British Isles and a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (between the British and Irish Governments) were also established.

From 15 October 2002, the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended due to a breakdown in the Northern Ireland peace process but, on 13 October 2006, the British and Irish governments announced the St Andrews Agreement, a 'road map' to restore devolution to Northern Ireland.[3] On 26 March 2007, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley met Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams for the first time and together announced that a devolved government would be returning to Northern Ireland.[4] The Executive was restored on 8 May 2007.[5] Several policing and justice powers were transferred to the Assembly on 12 April 2010.

The 2007–2011 Assembly (the third since the 1998 Agreement) was dissolved on 24 March 2011 in preparation for an election to be held on Thursday 5 May 2011, this being the first Assembly since the Good Friday Agreement to complete a full term.[6] The fifth Assembly convened in May 2016.[7]

Scotland

Map showing Scotland
Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh

Ever since the Parliament of Scotland adjourned in 1707 as a result of the Acts of Union, individuals and organisations have advocated the return of a Scottish Parliament. The drive for home rule first took concrete shape in the 19th century, as demands for it in Ireland were met with similar (although not as widespread) demands in Scotland. The National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights was established in 1853, a body close to the Tories and motivated by a desire to secure more focus on Scottish problems in response to what they felt was undue attention being focused on Ireland by the then Liberal government. In 1871, William Ewart Gladstone stated at a meeting held in Aberdeen that if Ireland was to be granted home rule, then the same should apply to Scotland. A Scottish home rule bill was presented to the Westminster Parliament in 1913 but the legislative process was interrupted by the First World War.

The demands for political change in the way in which Scotland was run changed dramatically in the 1920s when Scottish nationalists started to form various organisations. The Scots National League was formed in 1920 in favour of Scottish independence, and this movement was superseded in 1928 by the formation of the National Party of Scotland, which became the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1934. At first the SNP sought only the establishment of a devolved Scottish assembly, but in 1942 they changed this to support all-out independence. This caused the resignation of John MacCormick from the SNP and he formed the Scottish Covenant Association. This body proved to be the biggest mover in favour of the formation of a Scottish assembly, collecting over two million signatures in the late 1940s and early 1950s and attracting support from across the political spectrum. However, without formal links to any of the political parties it withered, devolution and the establishment of an assembly were put on the political back burner.

Harold Wilson's Labour government set up a Royal Commission on the Constitution in 1969, which reported in 1973 to Ted Heath's Conservative government. The Commission recommended the formation of a devolved Scottish assembly, but was not implemented.

Support for the SNP reached 30% in the October, 1974 general election, with 11 SNP MPs being elected. In 1978 the Labour government passed the Scotland Act which legislated for the establishment of a Scottish Assembly, provided the Scots voted for such in a referendum. However, the Labour Party was bitterly divided on the subject of devolution. An amendment to the Scotland Act that had been proposed by Labour MP George Cunningham, who shortly afterwards defected to the newly formed Social Democratic Party (SDP), required 40% of the total electorate to vote in favour of an assembly. Despite officially favouring it, considerable numbers of Labour members opposed the establishment of an assembly. This division contributed to only a narrow 'Yes' majority being obtained, and the failure to reach Cunningham's 40% threshold. History took an ironic twist when the Labour Government led by James Callaghan lost an SNP-inspired vote of no confidence on the issue. This ushered in 18 years of Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher and then John Major, who both strongly resisted any proposal for devolution for either Scotland or Wales. The 1979 General Election also saw a collapse in the SNP's vote, returning only two MPs.

In response to Conservative dominance, in 1989 the Scottish Constitutional Convention was formed encompassing the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Green Party, local authorities, and sections of "civic Scotland" like Scottish Trades Union Congress, the Small Business Federation and Church of Scotland and the other major churches in Scotland. Its purpose was to devise a scheme for the formation of a devolution settlement for Scotland. The SNP decided to withdraw as they felt that independence would not be a constitutional option countenanced by the convention. The convention produced its final report in 1995.

In May 1997, the Labour government of Tony Blair was elected with a promise of creating devolved institutions in Scotland. In late 1997, a referendum was held which resulted in a "yes" vote. The newly created Scottish Parliament (as a result of the Scotland Act 1998) had powers to make primary legislation in certain 'devolved' areas of policy, in addition to some limited tax varying powers (which to date have not been exercised). Other policy areas remained 'reserved' for the UK Government and parliament.

Devolution for Scotland was justified on the basis that it would make government more responsive to the wishes of the people of Scotland. It was argued that the population of Scotland felt detached from the Westminster government (largely because of the policies of the Conservative governments led by Margaret Thatcher and John Major[8]) However, devolution for Scotland has brought to the fore the West Lothian question which is a complaint that devolution for Scotland and Wales without devolution for England, has created a situation where MPs in the British parliament, including Welsh and Scottish MPs, can vote on matters affecting England alone but on those same matters Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can make their own decisions.

A referendum on Scottish independence was held on 18 September 2014, with the referendum being defeated 44.7% (Yes) to 55.3% (No).

Wales

Map showing Wales
The Senedd, home to the National Assembly for Wales

After the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542, Wales was treated in legal terms as part of England. However, during the later part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century the notion of a distinctive Welsh polity gained credence. In 1881 the Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881 was passed, the first such legislation exclusively concerned with Wales. The Central Welsh Board was established in 1896 to inspect the grammar schools set up under the Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889, and a separate Welsh Department of the Board of Education was formed in 1907. The Agricultural Council for Wales was set up in 1912, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries had its own Welsh Office from 1919.

Despite the failure of popular political movements such as Cymru Fydd, a number of institutions, such as the National Eisteddfod (1861), the University of Wales (Prifysgol Cymru) (1893), the National Library of Wales (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru) (1911) and the Welsh Guards (Gwarchodlu Cymreig) (1915) were created. The campaign for disestablishment of the Anglican Church in Wales, achieved by the passage of the Welsh Church Act 1914, was also significant in the development of Welsh political consciousness. Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 with the goal of securing a Welsh-speaking Wales but initially its growth was slow and it gained few votes at parliamentary elections.

An appointed Council for Wales and Monmouthshire was established in 1949 to "ensure the government is adequately informed of the impact of government activities on the general life of the people of Wales". The council had 27 members nominated by local authorities in Wales, the University of Wales, National Eisteddfod Council and the Welsh Tourist Board. A cross-party Parliament for Wales campaign in the early 1950s was supported by a number of Labour MPs, mainly from the more Welsh-speaking areas, together with the Liberal Party and Plaid Cymru. A post of Minister of Welsh Affairs was created in 1951 and the post of Secretary of State for Wales and the Welsh Office were established in 1964 leading to the abolition of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire.

Labour's incremental embrace of a distinctive Welsh polity was arguably catalysed in 1966 when Plaid Cymru president Gwynfor Evans won the Carmarthen by-election. In response to the emergence of Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party (SNP) Harold Wilson's Labour Government set up the Royal Commission on the Constitution (the Kilbrandon Commission) to investigate the UK’s constitutional arrangements in 1969. The 1974–79 Labour Government proposed a Welsh Assembly in parallel to its proposals for Scotland. These were rejected by voters in the Wales referendum, 1979 with 956,330 votes against, compared with 243,048 for.

In May 1997, the Labour government of Tony Blair was elected with a promise of creating a devolved assembly in Wales; the Wales referendum, 1997 resulted in a "yes" vote. The National Assembly for Wales, as a consequence of the Government of Wales Act 1998, possesses the power to determine how the government budget for Wales is spent and administered. The 1998 Act was followed by the Government of Wales Act 2006 which created an executive body, the Welsh Assembly Government, separate from the legislature, the National Assembly for Wales. It also conferred on the National Assembly some limited legislative powers.

In Wales the 1997 referendum on devolution was only narrowly passed, and most voters rejected devolution in all the counties bordering England, as well as Cardiff and Pembrokeshire. However, all recent opinion polls indicate an increasing level of support for further devolution, with support for some tax varying powers now commanding a majority, and diminishing support for abolition of the Assembly.

A March 2011 referendum in Wales saw a majority of 21 local authority constituencies to 1 voting in favour of more legislative powers being transferred from the UK parliament in Westminster to the Welsh Assembly. The turnout was 35.4% with 517,132 votes (63.49%) in favour and 297,380 (36.51%) against increased legislative power.

A Commission on Devolution in Wales was set up in October 2011 to consider further devolution of powers from London. The commission issued a report on the devolution of fiscal powers in November 2012 and a report on the devolution of legislative powers in March 2014. The fiscal recommendations formed the basis of the Wales Act 2014.

England

Map of the informal Regions of England as defined in 2009

England is the only country of the United Kingdom to not have a devolved Parliament or Assembly and English affairs are decided by the Westminster Parliament. Devolution for England was proposed in 1912 by the Member of Parliament for Dundee, Winston Churchill, as part of the debate on Home Rule for Ireland. In a speech in Dundee on 12 September, Churchill proposed that the government of England should be divided up among regional parliaments, with power devolved to areas such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, the Midlands and London as part of a federal system of government.[9][10]

The division of England into provinces or regions was explored by several post-Second World War royal commissions. The Redcliffe-Maud Report of 1969 proposed devolving power from central government to eight provinces in England. In 1973 the Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom) proposed the creation of eight English appointed regional assemblies with an advisory role; although the report stopped short of recommending legislative devolution to England, a minority of signatories wrote a memorandum of dissent which put forward proposals for devolving power to elected assemblies for Scotland, Wales and five Regional Assemblies in England.[11]

In April 1994 the Government of John Major created a set of ten Government Office Regions for England to coordinate central government departments at a provincial level.[12] English Regional Development Agencies were set up in 1998 under the Government of Tony Blair to foster economic growth around England. These Agencies were supported by a set of eight newly created Regional Assemblies, or Chambers. These bodies were not directly elected but members were appointed by local government and local interest groups.

English Regional Assemblies were abolished between 2008 and 2010, but proposals to replace them were put forward. Following devolution of power to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1998, the government proposed similar decentralisation of power across England.[13] Following a referendum in 1998, a directly elected administrative body was created for Greater London, the Greater London Authority. Proposals to devolve political power to fully elected bodies English Regional Assemblies was put to public vote in the Northern England devolution referendums, 2004. Originally three referendums were planned, but following a decisive rejection of the plans by voters in North East England, further referendums were abandoned. Although moves towards English regional devolution were called off, the Regions of England continue to be used in certain governmental administrative functions.[14]

There have been proposals for the establishment of a single devolved English Parliament to govern the affairs of England as a whole. This has been supported by groups such as English Commonwealth, the English Democrats and Campaign for an English Parliament, as well as the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru who have both expressed support for greater autonomy for all four nations while ultimately striving for a dissolution of the Union. Without its own devolved Parliament, England continues to be governed and legislated for by the UK Government and UK Parliament which gives rise to the West Lothian question. The question concerns the fact that, on devolved matters, Scottish MPs continue to help make laws that apply to England alone, although no English MPs can make laws on those same matters for Scotland. Since the Scottish independence referendum, 2014 there has been a wider debate about the UK adopting a federal system with each of the four home nations having its own, equal devolved legislatures and law-making powers.[15]

In the first five years of devolution for Scotland and Wales, support in England for the establishment of an English parliament was low at between 16 and 19 per cent.[16] While a 2007 opinion poll found that 61 per cent would support such a parliament being established,[17] a report based on the British Social Attitudes Survey published in December 2010 suggests that only 29 per cent of people in England support the establishment of an English parliament, though this figure has risen from 17 per cent in 2007.[18] John Curtice argues that tentative signs of increased support for an English parliament might represent "a form of English nationalism...beginning to emerge among the general public".[19] Krishan Kumar, however, notes that support for measures to ensure that only English MPs can vote on legislation that applies only to England is generally higher than that for the establishment of an English parliament, although support for both varies depending on the timing of the opinion poll and the wording of the question.[20]

In September 2011 it was announced that the British government was to set up a commission to examine the West Lothian question.[21] In January 2012 it was announced that this six-member commission would be named the Commission on the consequences of devolution for the House of Commons, would be chaired by former Clerk of the House of Commons, Sir William McKay, and would have one member from each of the devolved countries. The McKay Commission reported in March 2013.[22]

English Votes For English Laws

On 22 October 2015 The House of Commons voted in favour of a bill concerning "English Votes For English Laws" by 312 votes to 270 after four hours of intense debate. Amendments to the bill put forward by both Labour and The Liberal Democrats were defeated. Scottish National Party MPs criticized the measures stating that the bill would render Scottish MPs as "second class citizens".[23] The bill adds an additional step in the UK law-making process, whereby The Speaker of The House determines if a proposed bill or statutory instrument exclusively affects England or England & Wales in addition to allowing the Speaker to call upon two senior MPs to assist in making the ruling. This process will be performed at the second reading of a bill or instrument and is currently undergoing a trial period, effectively answering the West Lothian question.[24]

Greater London

Within England, regional devolution has only extended to London where the Greater London Authority has greater powers than other local authority bodies.

Cornwall

Main article: Cornish Assembly

There is a movement that supports devolution in Cornwall. A law-making Cornish Assembly is party policy for the Liberal Democrats, Mebyon Kernow and the Greens.[25][26] A Cornish Constitutional Convention was set up in 2001 with the goal of establishing a Cornish Assembly. Several Cornish Liberal Democrat MPs such as Andrew George, Dan Rogerson and former MP Matthew Taylor are strong supporters of Cornish devolution.[27]

On 12 December 2001, the Cornish Constitutional Convention and Mebyon Kernow submitted a 50,000-strong petition supporting devolution in Cornwall to 10 Downing Street.[28][29] This was over 10% of the Cornish electorate, the figure that the government had stated was the criteria for calling a referendum on the issue.[30] In December 2007 Cornwall Council leader David Whalley stated that "There is something inevitable about the journey to a Cornish Assembly".[31]

A poll carried out by Survation for the University of Exeter in November 2014 found that 60% were in favour of power being devolved from Westminster to Cornwall, with only 19% opposed and 49% were in favour of the creation of a Cornish Assembly, with 31% opposed.[32]

In January 2015 Labour's Shadow Chancellor promised the delivery of a Cornish assembly in the next parliament if Labour are elected. Ed Balls made the statement whilst on a visit to Cornwall College in Camborne and it signifies a turn around in policy for the Labour party who in government prior to 2010 voted against the Government of Cornwall Bill 2008-09.[33]

Yorkshire

Yorkshire Devolution Movement is an all party and no party campaign group and Yorkshire First is a political party. Both campaign for devolution to Yorkshire, which has a population of 5.3 million - similar to Scotland - and whose economy is roughly twice as large as Wales's. Arguments for devolution to Yorkshire focus on the area as a cultural region or even a nation separate from England,[34] whose inhabitants share common features. In the European Parliament election in 2014, Yorkshire First attained 1.47% of the vote (19,017 total votes).[35]

Northern England (as whole)

The Campaign for the North seeks to establish a Regional Government for the North of England covering the six historic counties of the region.[36][37] The Campaign aims to create a Northern Government with tax-raising powers and responsibility for policy areas including economic development, education, health, policing and emergency services.[38][39]

Crown dependencies

Map showing the Channel Islands
Map showing the Isle of Man

The legislatures of the Crown dependencies are not devolved as their origins predate the establishment of the United Kingdom and their attachment to the British Crown, and the Crown Dependencies are not part of the United Kingdom. However, the United Kingdom has redefined its formal relationship with the Crown Dependencies since the late 20th century.

Crown dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.[40]

For several hundred years, each has had its own separate legislature, government and judicial system. However, as possessions of the Crown they are not sovereign nations in their own right and the British Government is responsible for the overall good governance of the islands and represents the islands in international law. Acts of the UK Parliament are normally only extended to the islands only with their specific consent.[41] Each of the islands is represented on the British-Irish Council.

The Lord Chancellor, a post in the UK Government, is responsible for relations between the government and the Channel Islands. All insular legislation must be approved by the Queen in Council and the Lord Chancellor is responsible for proposing the legislation on the Privy Council. He can refuse to propose insular legislation or can propose it for the Queen's approval.

In 2007–2008, each Crown Dependency and the UK signed agreements[42] that established frameworks for the development of the international identity of each Crown Dependency. Among the points clarified in the agreements were that:

Jersey has moved further than the other two Crown dependencies in asserting its autonomy from the United Kingdom. The preamble to the States of Jersey Law 2005 declares that 'it is recognized that Jersey has autonomous capacity in domestic affairs' and 'it is further recognized that there is an increasing need for Jersey to participate in matters of international affairs'.[43] In July 2005, the Policy and Resources Committee of the States of Jersey established the Constitutional Review Group, chaired by Sir Philip Bailhache, with terms of reference 'to conduct a review and evaluation of the potential advantages and disadvantages for Jersey in seeking independence from the United Kingdom or other incremental change in the constitutional relationship, while retaining the Queen as Head of State'. The Group's 'Second Interim Report' was presented to the States by the Council of Ministers in June 2008.[44] In January 2011, one of Jersey's Council of Ministers was for the first time designated as having responsibility for external relations and is often described as the island's 'minister'.[45][46] Proposals for Jersey independence have not, however, gained significant political or popular support.[47][48] In October 2012 the Council of Ministers issued a "Common policy for external relations"[49] that set out a number of principles for the conduct of external relations in accordance with existing undertakings and agreements. This document noted that Jersey "is a self-governing, democratic country with the power of self-determination" and "that it is not Government policy to seek independence from the United Kingdom, but rather to ensure that Jersey is prepared if it were in the best interests of Islanders to do so". On the basis of the established principles the Council of Ministers decided to "ensure that Jersey is prepared for external change that may affect the Island’s formal relationship with the United Kingdom and/or European Union".

There is also public debate in Guernsey about the possibility of independence.[50][51] In 2009, however, an official group reached the provisional view that becoming a microstate would be undesirable [52] and it is not supported by Guernsey's Chief Minister.[53]

In 2010, the governments of Jersey and Guernsey jointly created the post of director of European affairs, based in Brussels, to represent the interests of the islands to European Union policy-makers.[54]

Since 2010 the Lieutenant Governors of each Crown dependency have been recommended to the Crown by a panel in each respective Crown dependency; this replaced the previous system of the appointments being made by the Crown on the recommendation of UK ministers.[55][56]

Competences of devolved administrations

Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales enjoy different levels[57] of legislative, administrative and budgetary autonomy. The table shows the areas and degree of autonomy and budgetary independence. Exclusive means that the devolved administration has exclusive powers in this policy area. Shared means that some areas of policy in the specific area are not under the control of the devolved administration. For example, while policing and criminal law may be a competence of the Scottish Government, the UK Government remains responsible for anti-terrorism and coordinates serious crime through the NCA.

ScotlandWalesN. Ireland
LAW AND ORDER
JusticeExclusiveExclusive
Civil LawExclusiveExclusive
Criminal LawSharedExclusive
Vehicle licensingExclusiveExclusive
Local Administration Organisation & FinanceExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
ElectionsExclusiveUnder considerationExclusive
Civil registerExclusiveExclusive
PoliceExclusiveUnder considerationExclusive
PrisonsExclusiveUnder considerationExclusive
Fire servicesExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
SOCIAL & HEALTH POLICY
Public Pensions (devolved administration)SharedShared
Pensions & Child SupportParity[58]
Health ServiceExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
Social Services ( Housing & Student Support)ExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
Social welfareExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
food safety and standardsExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT
TaxationSharedSubject to referendumShared
Urban PlanningExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
EnvironmentExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
HousingExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
TransportSharedSharedShared
Economic DevelopmentExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
Agricult., Forestary & FisheriesExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
CULTURE & EDUCATION
Culture/languageExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
Primary & Secondary EducationExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
University & Professional EducationExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
Sport & recreationExclusiveExclusiveExclusive
RESOURCES & SPENDING
Own Tax resourcesYesSubject to referendumNo
Allocation by UK GovernmentBarnett FormulaBarnett FormulaBarnett Formula
Other resourcesCo-payments (Health & education)Co-payments (Health & education)Co-payments (Health & education)
Resources0% own resources0% own resources0% own resources
Devolved Spending as % of total public spending63%60%50%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "IRA Ceasefire". The Search for Peace. BBC. 2005. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  2. ↑ Alvin Jackson, Home Rule, an Irish History 1800–2000, (2003), ISBN 0-7538-1767-5
  3. ↑ March target date for devolution, BBC News Online, 13 October 2006
  4. ↑ "NI deal struck in historic talks". bbc.co.uk. 26 March 2007.
  5. ↑ "Historic return for NI Assembly". bbc.co.uk. 8 May 2007.
  6. ↑ "Ian Paisley retires as NI Assembly completes historical first full term". BBC News. 25 March 2011.
  7. ↑ Archived 6 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ "Devolution in Scotland" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  9. ↑ "Local Parliaments For England. Mr. Churchill's Outline Of A Federal System, Ten Or Twelve Legislatures". The Times. 13 September 1912. p. 4.
  10. ↑ "Mr. Winston Churchill's speech at Dundee". The Spectator: 2. 14 September 1912. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  11. ↑ Smith, David M.; Wistrich, Enid (2014). Devolution and localism in England. p. 6. ISBN 9781472430793. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  12. ↑ Audretsch, David B.; Bonser, Charles F., eds. (2002). Globalization and regionalization : challenges for public policy. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers. pp. 25–28. ISBN 9780792375524. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  13. ↑ House of Commons Justice Committee (2009). Devolution : a decade on. London: TSO. pp. 62–63. ISBN 9780215530387. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  14. ↑ Jones, Bill; Norton, Philip, eds. (2004). Politics UK. Routledge. p. 238. ISBN 9781317581031. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  15. ↑ Williams, Shirley (16 September 2014). "How Scotland could lead the way towards a federal UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  16. ↑ Hazell, Robert (2006). "The English Question". Publius. 36 (1): 37–56. doi:10.1093/publius/pjj012.
  17. ↑ Carrell, Severin (16 January 2007). "Poll shows support for English parliament". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  18. ↑ Ormston, Rachel; Curtice, John (December 2010). "Resentment or contentment? Attitudes towards the Union ten years on" (PDF). National Centre for Social Research. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  19. ↑ Curtice, John (February 2010). "Is an English backlash emerging? Reactions to devolution ten years on" (PDF). Institute for Public Policy Research. p. 3. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  20. ↑ Kumar, Krishan (2010). "Negotiating English identity: Englishness, Britishness and the future of the United Kingdom". Nations and Nationalism. 16 (3): 469–487. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8129.2010.00442.x.
  21. ↑ "Answer sought to the West Lothian question". BBC News Scotland. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  22. ↑ BBC News, England-only laws 'need majority from English MPs' , 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013
  23. ↑ Sheehy, James (22 October 2015). "Scottish MPs denounce Bill regarding devolution powers.". The Independent.
  24. ↑ James, Sheehy (22 October 2015). "English Votes For English Laws". The BBC.
  25. ↑ Demianyk, Graham (10 March 2014), "Liberal Democrats vote for Cornish Assembly", Western Morning News, retrieved 20 September 2014
  26. ↑ Green Party of England and Wales (2 May 2014), Green Party leader reaffirms support for Cornish Assembly, retrieved 20 September 2014
  27. ↑ Andrew George MP, Press release regarding Cornish devolution October 2007 Archived 25 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  28. ↑ Cornish Constitutional Convention. "The Cornish Constitutional Convention". Cornishassembly.org. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  29. ↑ "11th December 2001– Government gets Cornish assembly call". BBC News. 2001-12-11. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  30. ↑ Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: ODPM: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee, Draft Regional Assemblies Bill, The Stationery Office, 2004.
  31. ↑ Cornish Constitutional Convention. "Cornwall Council leader supports Cornish devolution". Cornishassembly.org. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  32. ↑ Demianyk, G (27 November 2014). "South West councils make devolution pitch as Scotland gets income tax powers". Western Morning News. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  33. ↑ "Labour's Devolution Pledge For Cornwall". Pirate FM. UKRD. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  34. ↑ "Yorkshire could be ‘God’s Own Country’, says Leeds professor", Yorkshire Evening Post, 12 September 2014
  35. ↑ BBC News, Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)
  36. ↑ Rosthorn, Andrew (1 October 2014). "Campaign for the North wants the lost kingdom of Eric Bloodaxe". Tribune.
  37. ↑ White, Steve (1 October 2014). "Viking referendum demands a Northern state based on kingdom of Erik Bloodaxe". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror.
  38. ↑ Blackhurst, Chris (2 October 2014). "It's not because I'm sentimental about the North that I believe it needs devolved powers". The Independent. Independent Print Ltd.
  39. ↑ Staff writer (6 October 2014). "Ex-MP pushes for northern parliament". The Gazette. Johnston Press.
  40. ↑ "Crown Dependencies, 8th Report of 2009–10, HC 56-1". House of Commons Justice Select Committee. 23 March 2010.
  41. ↑ In relation to Jersey, see "Jersey law course". Institute of Law Jersey. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013.
  42. ↑
    Framework for developing the international identity of Jersey (pdf). States of Jersey.
    Framework for developing the international identity of Guernsey (pdf). States of Guernsey.
    Framework for developing the international identity of the Isle of Man (pdf). Isle of Man Government.
  43. ↑ States of Jersey Law 2005 (PDF). States of Jersey.
  44. ↑ Second Interim Report of the Constitution Review Group (PDF). States of Jersey. 27 June 2008.
  45. ↑ "Meet our new foreign minister". Jersey Evening Post. 14 January 2011. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011.
  46. ↑ "Editorial: A new role of great importance". Jersey Evening Post. 17 January 2011. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011.
  47. ↑ "Editorial: Legal ideas of political importance". Jersey Evening Post. 21 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011.
  48. ↑ Sibcy, Andy (17 September 2010). "Sovereignty or dependency on agenda at conference". Jersey Evening Post. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011.
  49. ↑ "Common policy for external relations" (PDF). States of Jersey. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  50. ↑ Ogier, Thom (27 October 2009). "Independence—UK always willing to talk". Guernsey Evening Press. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012.
  51. ↑ Prouteaux, Juliet (23 October 2009). "It IS time to loosen our ties with the UK". Guernsey Evening Press. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009.
  52. ↑ Ogier, Thom (13 October 2009). "Full independence would frighten away investors and firms". Guernsey Evening Press. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009.
  53. ↑ Tostevin, Simon (9 July 2008). "Independence? Islanders don't want it, says Trott". Guernsey Evening Press. Archived from the original on 22 November 2008.
  54. ↑ Staff writer (27 January 2011). "Channel Islands' "man in Europe" appointed". Jersey Evening Post. Archived from the original on 2 February 2011.
  55. ↑ Staff writer (6 July 2010). "£105,000 – the tax-free reward for being a royal rep". Jersey Evening Post. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  56. ↑ Ogier, Thom (3 July 2010). "Guernsey will choose its next Lt-Governor". Guernsey Evening Press. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  57. ↑ "The current Welsh devolution settlement" (PDF). commissionondevolutioninwales. Commission on Devolution in Wales. Archived from the original (pdf) on 28 February 2016.
  58. ↑ Understanding "parity": departmental briefing paper (pdf). Northern Ireland Assembly.

Further reading

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