Alternatives to Governing Scotland

Question 1

What are the three options to governing Scotland?

Answer 1

Independence, Federalism and Devolution Max

Question 2

What is Devomax?

Answer 2

Where almost all powers except foreign affairs and defence would be devolved to Scotland.

Question 3

What would the Scottish Gov be responsible for?

Answer 3

raising all the money it spends

Question 4

Example for Devomax (Covid-19)

Answer 4

For example, in the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic, the Scottish Government would have had the powers to bring in a lockdown earlier if they had wanted to.

Question 5

What do many argue about Devomax?

Answer 5

It could have saved more lives during the pandemic.

Question 6

What does Devomax risk making Scotland?

Answer 6

Poorer.

Question 7

What does Scotland currently receive?

Answer 7

More money per head than England and Wales

Question 8

What is this money to deal with?

Answer 8

problems like having an older and more rural population.

Question 9

What else could Devomax mean?

Answer 9

Tjhat Scotland may have to raise or cut more taxes to meet the needs of the older and rural population

Question 10

What does evidence from the UK show?

Answer 10

that Scotland has 17% more per person spent on it rather than the UK average.

Question 11

What risk is there for Scotland?

Answer 11

there may be less money available to deal with some of Scotland’s more challenging problems.

Question 12

Such as?

Answer 12

alcohol deaths due to changes to the tax arrangements.

Question 13

What would Independence mean?

Answer 13

Scotland has full power and control of it’s own country.

Question 14

What do supporters of Independence argue?

Answer 14

That Scotland would become a fairer countryas it would have full control over the taxes it raises and the amounts spent.

Question 15

For example…

Answer 15

the SNP argue that they would be able to spend almost £200 million more a year on thousands of nurses, police officers and teachers rather than on nuclear weapons which is a reserved issue.

Question 16

Who has ultimate control?

Answer 16

Westminster - they have the ability to close down the Scottish Parliament.

Question 17

What is there a limit of if Scotland is still in the UK?

Answer 17

It will limit the ability of Scottish politicians to deliver what Scottish people want.

Question 18

What did supporters of the Union argue?

Answer 18

that by the 4 nations working together they are able to tackle many issues that they face by pulling together to share financial risks and work with the rest of the world.

Question 19

What did Boris Johnson argue?

Answer 19

it as because of the financial power of being in the UK that helped protect Jobs in the Covid-19 pandemic with the gov able to borrow billions cheaply.

Question 20

What is Federalism?

Answer 20

Englad would be broken up into regions which would all have the same power as the 3 other nations.

Question 21

What would this clear up?

Answer 21

Confusion over devolved and reserved powers.

Question 22

What did Boris Johnson do in his 2020 Covid-19 announcements?

Answer 22

He kept making announcements as the “Prime Minister of the UK” which only applied to England - causing a lot of confusion.

Question 23

How could have federalism affected Brexit?

Answer 23

Brexit may not have happened as as potentially all parts of a federal UK would have had to agree to it.

Question 24

Why is Federalism less likely to happen?

Answer 24

There is a lack of support from the people in power in England.

Question 25

What has happened in the last 20 years?

Answer 25

English have rejected efforts to give more power to local regions in England, similar to the powers of Scotland and Wales and so far zero major UK political parties have made a commitment to Federalism.

Question 26

For example…

Answer 26

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has only suggested federalism might help to fix the UK but there is no firm promise of it and Labour made no commitment in the 2021 Scottish elections to it.