Evaluate The View That Devolution Has Been A Success.

Question 1

P1: Agree Impact on Democracy, Respond to The Concerns

Answer 1

1. Left wing SNP government that has
   introduced policies including free prescription charges, free tuition fees and a higher top
   rate of income tax than in the rest of the UK. SA 1998 granted the Scottish Parliament control over health and education policy, whilst the SA2016 granted it significant control over taxation.
2. Relaxed restrictions at different speeds. Sadiq Khan has been able to introduce a policies to improve the provision of services compared to the rest of England. Free school meals for all primary school students in London were introduced in September 2023. £135m/year initiative cost-of-living
   pressures on families. Rest of England, only children from low-income families continue to
   receive free school meals.
3. Devolved bodies are elected using more proportional electoral systems
   devolved bodies are elected using more proportional electoral systems.
4. Burnham won with 63.4% of the vote, with his closest competitor getting just over 10%
   of the vote. Effective representation of
   Manchester nationally, as well as a country-leading approach to tackling homelessness
   and improvement in the cityʼs transport

Question 2

P1: Disagree Creates Inequality

Answer 2

1. Policy divergence means people in different parts of the UK receive different levels of services.University tuition is free in Scotland but not in England; NHS waiting times vary across nations.
2. Undermines redistribution of wealth (fiscal devolution):Regions managing their own taxes can reduce the ability to share resources nationally — which may worsen inequality.
3. Low election turnout undermines legitimacy:
   S (2021): 63.5% NI (2022): 63.5% W (2021): 46.6%Greater Manchester mayoral election (2024): 32%
4. Sewel Convention is sometimes ignored:
   The UK Parliament can still legislate on devolved matters, even without consent.
   Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was passed despite opposition.Devolved governments saw it as infringing on their control of public services and workers’ rights.
5. Power shifted from Westminster to devolved bodies could be seen as weakening the central principle of UK democracy.

Question 3

P2: Disagree Unity of the UK Resentment and Nationalisation.

Answer 3

1. Asymmetric devolution). Policing is devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland, but remains controlled by Westminster in Wales and England.
2. Barnett Formula Causes Regional Resentment. Allocates different levels of funding per head to each nation.E receives less per capita than S or NI. This fuels inter-nation resentment, particularly in England.
3. Fuels Nationalism. SNP has been in power since 2007; came close to independence in the 2014 referendum. Sinn Féin became the largest party after the 2022 Assembly elections promoting a united Ireland.

Question 4

P2: Disagree Unity of the UK leaders

Answer 4

1. Johnson frequently clashed with Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford during COVID called BJ ‘really, really awful’ for neglecting the Welsh population during Covid, often acting without consulting devolved leaders.Mark Drakeford criticised Johnson’s handling of pandemic measures in Wales.
2. 2023, Sunak invoked a Section 35 Order for the first time to block Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
3. Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan criticised Westminster in 2025: Demanded fairer treatment on wind energy profits from the Crown Estate.Opposed cuts to disability benefits and winter fuel payments. Promised to “call out” Labour when it “gets it wrong for Wales”.

Question 5

P2: Agree UK Unity

Answer 5

1. A key aim of devolution was to prevent Scottish independence by offering autonomy.
   Although nationalist support has grown, no part of the UK has voted for independence.
2. After decades of conflict during The Troubles, devolution created a power-sharing arrangement that helped stabilise the region.
   The NI Assembly has been a key framework for long-term peace and democratic governance.
3. Independence Support Linked More to UK Government Failures .Recent rises in nationalist sentiment are argued to be due more to Conservative government unpopularity than devolution itself.Devolution is not the problem — bad relations and poor UK leadership.
4. Keir Starmer’s government is engaging more constructively with devolved bodies: Visited S, W, and NI within days of becoming PM. Held a meeting with all English regional mayors by Day 5. Promised new Council of the Nations and Regions to improve coordination. Pledged to reduce breaches of the Sewel Convention with a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in manifesto

Question 6

P3: Agree Better Governance

Answer 6

1. Devolved governments have achieved practical success in areas like transport. ScotRail was nationalised in 2022.Cheaper fares due to subsidies, Glasgow to Edinburgh return ≈ £10 (vs. triple that in England).
2. Andy Burnham): Bus services brought under local control ,capped fares at £2 before England did the same.Launched the Bee Network a connected system of walking and cycling routes across the region.
3. High-profile mayors and devolved leaders can raise issues and attract funding: March 2025: Devolved mayors successfully lobbied for over £1 billion in new regional transport funding.
4. Scotland led the way by banning smoking in public places — policy later adopted in the rest of the UK.
5. Evolved governments use more proportional voting systems, leading to coalition or minority governments.These have remained stable and effective — e.g., popular leadership by Nicola Sturgeon (Scotland) and Mark Drakeford (Wales).

Question 7

P3: Disagree Governance Falling Behind the UK

Answer 7

1. NHS waiting times: You’re twice as likely to wait over a year in Scotland or Northern Ireland compared to England.In Wales, 1 in 20 people are on year-plus NHS waiting lists.
2. PISA rankings show Scotland and Wales underperforming compared to England.
3. SNP has been accused of neglecting core policies in favour of campaigning for independence. Peter Murrell, SNP’s former chief executive and Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, was arrested in April 2023 over party finances.
4. Devolution has been dysfunctional in NI: Stormont has experienced repeated suspensions due to parties refusing to cooperate (the DUP boycotting over the NI Protocol). Same-sex marriage was legalised by the UK Parliament during a suspension.
5. Stormont was suspended for nearly two years after the 2022 election, illustrating how the power-sharing model regularly fails.