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Devolution Flashcards

1
Q

Devolution definition

A

The transfer of political power, but not sovereignty, from central government to subnational government

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2
Q

What are primary legislative powers?

A

Authority to make laws on devolved policy areas

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3
Q

What is nationalism?

A

A political ideology or movement that regards the nation as the main form of political community and believes nations should be self-governing

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4
Q

Why can British devolution be described as ‘asymmetric’?

A

Each devolved institution has different powers and distinctive features

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5
Q

Results of the 1979 Welsh Devolution Referendum

A

Only 20% backed creating a Welsh Assembly

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6
Q

What parties supported devolution in the 90s?

A

Labour and the Lib Dems

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7
Q

Results of the 1997 Scottish Devolution Referendum

A

74.3% supported creating a Scottish Assembly
65.5% supported giving them tax-varying powers

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8
Q

Results of the 1997 Welsh Devolution Referendum

A

50.3% supported creating a Welsh Assembly

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9
Q

How many members in the Scottish Parliament?

A

129 MSPs

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10
Q

What system is used to elect the Scottish Parliament?

A

AMS

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11
Q

How many MSPs are elected using FPTP in Scottish Parliamentary elections?

A

73 (57% of the total)

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12
Q

How many MSPs are elected using List PR in Scottish Parliamentary elections?

A

56 (43% of the total)

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13
Q

Since 2007 what party has been the governing party in Scotland?

A

SNP

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14
Q

The SNP made a power-sharing deal with what party in 2021?

A

Scottish Greens
(The Greens gained two ministerial positions)

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15
Q

Scotland Act 1998

A

Scottish Parliament gained primary legislative power on issues including:
- Law and order
- Health
- Education
- Transport
- Environment

They also gained tax-raising powers

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16
Q

Example of a power held by Scotland and NI, but not Wales

A

Abortion law

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17
Q

Example of a power held by Scotland and Wales, but not NI

A

Onshore gas and oil extraction

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18
Q

What are reserved powers?

A

Powers that remain the sole responsibility of Westminster

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19
Q

What are some examples of reserved powers?

A
  • UK constitution
  • Defence and national security
  • Foreign policy (including EU relations)
  • Nationality and immigration
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20
Q

How did the Scotland Act 2016 affect sovereignty?

A
  • Westminster will not legislate on devolved powers without consent
  • Scottish Parliament is ‘a permanent part of the UK’s constitutional arrangement’
  • Scottish Parliament cannot be abolished without a referendum
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21
Q

What is the SNP’s aim for an independent Scotland?

A

SAME:
- Keep the pound
- Keep the King as head of state

DIFFERENT:
- Have their own written constitution
- Full responsibility for welfare, foreign and defence policy

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22
Q

Results of the 2014 Scotland Independence Referendum

A

55.3% wanted to stay in the UK

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23
Q

Turnout of the 2014 Scotland Independence Referendum

A

84.5% (very high)

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24
Q

What is ‘granting a section 30 order’?

A

The Westminster government permitting Scotland to hold a second independence referendum

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25
How did the Scotland Act 2016 change tax powers?
- The Scottish Government receive 50% of VAT - Gained control of income tax rates
26
What is the name of the Welsh devolved government
Senedd Cymru, or Welsh Parliament
27
How many members are there in the Welsh Parliament?
60
28
How many members of the Welsh Parliament are elected through FPTP?
40 (2/3)
29
How many members of the Welsh Parliament are elected using List PR
20 (1/3)
30
What electoral system does the Welsh Parliament use?
AMS
31
Who is first minister of Wales?
Mark Drakeford
32
What party has been in power in the Welsh Parliament since 1999 (i.e. since creation)?
Labour
33
Government of Wales Act 2006
Allowed the Welsh Assembly to gain primary legislative powers if approved in a referendum (it was in 2011)
34
2011 Welsh Referendum on giving the Welsh Assembly primary legislative powers results?
64% voted in favour
35
Examples of issues that Wales has primary legislative power over
- Education - Health - Environment - Transport
36
What commission considers whether Wales should get more devolution?
Silk Commission
37
Wales Act 2017
- Allowed Wales to vary income tax rates - Gave them control of their own elections
38
Name of Welsh legislature
Welsh Parliament (formerly Welsh Assembly)
39
Percentage of Catholics in Northern Ireland
42%
40
What is unique about Northern Irish devolution?
Designed to have power sharing between two main parties
41
Number of members in the Northern Irish Assembly
108
42
Electoral system in Northern Ireland
STV
43
What power does NI not have that Wales and Scotland have?
They have limited power to vary tax
44
What year was the Good Friday Agreement?
1998
45
What did the Good Friday Agreement establish?
Power-sharing between the Nationalist and Unionist parties in Northern Ireland
46
What is 'English Votes for English Laws' (EVEL)?
Procedure in the HoC for dealing with legislation that only affects England
47
Arguments FOR an English Parliament
- Complete devolution in the UK, equal between nations - Creates more cohesion and clarity - Allows for representation of 'English ideas'
48
Arguments AGAINST an English Parliament
- Creates tension between the English and national governments - England is much bigger than the rest of the Union and already dominates - Only very limited support
49
What is the West Lothian Question?
Asks why MPs representing Scotland should be able to vote on purely English matters
50
Example of the West Lothian Question affecting legislation
A vote on tuition fees 2003 wouldn't have passed without support from Scottish Labour MPs - even though Scotland controls its own education system
51
When was EVEL introduced?
2015
52
How does EVEL work?
When bills are introduced, the speaker decides if they will only affect England or not
53
What do opponents to EVEL suggest?
- It creates different classes of MPs, and creates a mini English Parliament within the actual Parliament - Makes it harder for parties to pass legislation if they have a small majority
54
What % of people voted NO to created a North-East Assembly in 2004?
78%
55
What are some arguments in favour of more English devolution?
- Address political variation amongst different English regions - Create balanced devolution as England is too large to have its own parliament
56
What are some arguments against more English devolution?
- Few areas of England have strong regional identity (e.g. East Midlands?) - Tensions between national and local government - Little public support
57
How many members are in the London Assembly?
25
58
Example of a policy introduced by the London Mayor
Congestion charge, 2003
59
What is a 'quasi-federal' state?
While there are some federal characteristics, it is still fundamentally a unitary state
60
How has devolution limited parliamentary sovereignty?
While Parliament could - in theory - remove all devolved governments, they no longer have control over many policy areas.
61
How was parliamentary sovereignty changed by the 2016 Scotland Act?
Westminster could no longer legislate on devolved issues without consent
62
What is needed if Westminster wanted to remove devolution?
A referendum
63
Why do MPs from devolved regions have different responsibilities than English MPs?
In devolved regions, people tend to turn to their local government for domestic issues. Therefore, MPs tend to deal with economic and foreign affairs issues
64
Should the UK become federal? - YES
- More cohesion - Resolve anomalies (e.g. West Lothian Question) - Status and role of Westminster Parliament made clear
65
Should the UK become federal - NO
- England is too dominant and the different federal states would be unequal - Is an English Parliament necessary when England already dominates Westminster - Very little public desire
66
Example of policy divergence: prescription charges
England - Allowed Wales - Abolished 2007 Scotland - Abolished 2011 NI - Abolished 2010
67
Example of policy divergence: school league tables
England - Allowed Wales - Abolished 2001 Scotland - Abolished 2003 NI - Abolished 2001
68
What is the Barnett formula?
Formula which decides how much funding devolved regions get
69
Problem with the Barnett formula
Uneven spending per person; England gets less per person than the rest of the UK
70
Has devolution undermined the union? - YES
- Increased desire for Scottish independence - Uneven between nations - Turned from a unified nation into a quasi-federal one
71
Has devolution undermined the union? - NO
- Answered demands for more autonomy in Scotland, etc - Process has happened smoothly with no major disputes - Ended violence in Northern Ireland
72
How may Brexit affect devolution?
Most voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain, which may create an increased desire to leave the UK and rejoin the EU

Gov & Politics (23 decks)

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