HC 700 - The Future of Devolution After the Scottish Referendum

HC 700 - The Future of Devolution After the Scottish Referendum
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Political and Constitutional Reform Committee
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 4
Release: 2015
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0215085809
GET BOOK

Proposals for devolutionary change in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England have been made at what appears to be dizzying speed since the Scottish referendum result in September 2014. This report considers what these developments mean for the future of devolution across the United Kingdom, and finds that the settlements have been approached in a bilateral fashion and without much consideration of what each means for the future of the Union as a whole. Scottish devolution has been able to move further and faster because many of the key issues had already been debated fully during the referendum campaign. Nevertheless the implications of further transfers of powers for the Union as a whole must be fully taken into account. While the political commitments made on the implementation of further devolution for Scotland should be honoured in full, and to the timescale envisaged, the rushed process of the Smith Commission Agreement cannot substitute for a full deliberation on the constitutional future of all elements of the United Kingdom. Amongst other recommendations, the Government should establish, in the first six months of the new Parliament, a commission to review proposals for further devolution within England and to reach agreement on a suite of powers which local authorities can draw down where they can demonstrate demand and popular support. A Convention for England, with broad popular representation from the public and civil society, could examine the relationship between England and the United Kingdom and develop a process for further agreed devolution from the centre to regions and localities

Between two unions

Between two unions
Author: Paolo Dardanelli
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Total Pages: 259
Release: 2013-07-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1847796230
GET BOOK

This book is the first in-depth comparative study of Scottish devolution and the first to analyse the impact of the European dimension. With focus on the periods leading up to the referendums in 1979 and 1997, it investigates positions and strategies of political parties and interest groups and how these influenced constitutional preferences at mass level and ultimately the referendum results. Based on rigorous analysis of an extensive body of quantitative and qualitative sources, it builds a ground-breaking argument that challenges the widespread thesis that support for devolution was a consequence of Conservative rule between 1979 and 1997. It shows that the decisive factors were changing attitudes to independence and the role of the European dimension in shaping them. The book is essential reading for students and scholars of British, European and comparative politics from 3rd-year courses upwards and will also appeal to lay readers interested in contemporary affairs.

The Scottish Independence Referendum

The Scottish Independence Referendum
Author: Aileen McHarg
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2016-06-30
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0191072028
GET BOOK

The September 2014 Scottish independence referendum was an event of profound constitutional and political significance, not only for Scotland, but for the UK as a whole. Although Scottish voters chose to remain in the UK, the experience of the referendum and the subsequent political reaction to the 'No' vote that triggered significant reforms to the devolution settlement have fundamentally altered Scotland's position within the Union. The extraordinary success of the Scottish National Party at the 2015 General Election also indicates that the territorial dimension to UK constitutional politics is more prominent than ever, destabilising key assumptions about the location and exercise of constitutional authority within the UK. The political and constitutional implications of the referendum are still unfolding, and it is by no means certain that the Union will survive. Providing a systematic and academic analysis of the referendum and its aftermath, this interdisciplinary edited collection brings together public lawyers, political scientists, economists, and historians in an effort to look both backwards to, and forwards from, the referendum. The chapters evaluate the historical events leading up to the referendum, the referendum process, and the key issues arising from the referendum debate. They also explore the implications of the referendum both for the future governance of Scotland and for the UK's territorial constitution, drawing on comparative experience in order to understand how the constitution may evolve, and how the independence debate may play out in future.

Scotland, the UK and Brexit

Scotland, the UK and Brexit
Author: Gerry Hassan
Publisher: Luath Press Ltd
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2017-07-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1910324981
GET BOOK

The unexpected outcome of the 2017 UK general election means that the UK Government lacks a clear mandate on Brexit and also that the Scottish Government lacks a clear mandate on holding a second Independence Referendum consequent to the material change in circumstance which will be brought about by Brexit. We are in for a bumpy, unpredictable ride, one with profound consequences for the people of Scotland and the UK. In this collection of essays from a wide range of leading political specialists, journalists and academics, Hassan and Gunson have assembled a comprehensive guide to Brexit for the UK as a whole, and its constituent parts. From fisheries and agriculture to higher education and law, the whys and how of Brexit are challenged from all angles. Particular attention is paid to how Brexit will impact Scotland and the viability of a future independent Scotland.

Scotland Analysis

Scotland Analysis
Author: Great Britain: Scotland Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 114
Release: 2013-02-11
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780101855426
GET BOOK

The UK Government is undertaking a major cross-government programme of analysis prior to the referendum on Scottish independence in 2014. The aim is to provide a comprehensive and detailed analysis of Scotland's place in the UK. This paper, the first of a series to be published in 2013 and 2014, examines the UK's constitutional set-up and the legal implications of independence. The UK Government is convinced that the current devolution offers the best for Scotland: the Scottish Parliament and Government are empowered to take decisions on a range of domestic policy areas - such as health, education, policing - while Scotland continues to benefit from decisions made for the UK as a whole - defence and security, foreign representation, economic affairs. Independence is very different to devolution. Based on independent expert opinion (published as Annex A), the paper concludes that if there were to be a vote in favour of leaving the UK, Scotland would become an entirely new state whilst the remainder of the UK would continue as before, retaining the rights and obligations of the UK as it currently stands. Any separation would have to be negotiated between both governments. Legal and practical implications of independence, both at home and abroad, are addressed. An independent Scotland would have to apply to and/or negotiate to become a member of whichever international organisations it wished to join, including the EU and NATO. Scotland would also have to work through its positions on thousands of international treaties to which the UK is currently party.

Scotland

Scotland
Author: Murray Stewart Leith
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2020-04-07
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1526127806
GET BOOK

Scotland’s future in the Union is in question. Since Devolution in 1997, there has been a sea-change in Scotland’s sense of itself. A distinct Scottish political culture has emerged: confident, assertive and increasingly divergent from that of its southern neighbours. Yet, as this timely and perceptive book shows, Scottish nationalism has been on the rise since the Second World War. Today, the Scottish National Party are in the ascendant, winning nearly half of all votes cast in the 2019 General Election and most of the seats. The Scottish Parliament has been a legislative trail-blazer, enacting progressive legislation well before England and Wales. And Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union, putting it at odds with much of the rest of the United Kingdom on the most important political decision this century. The country has transformed from the socially and politically conservative climate of the post-war period to a nation contemplating, for the second time, a move to independence – for all the uncertainty and turmoil that would bring. At a time when the country’s future has topped the agenda in Britain and abroad, this book unpicks the complex weave of Scottish politics, society and culture, providing an essential insight into Scotland’s present – and its future.

The Scottish Political System Since Devolution

The Scottish Political System Since Devolution
Author: Paul Cairney
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2012-01-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 184540338X
GET BOOK

This book presents a narrative of Scottish politics since devolution in 1999. It compares eight years of coalition government under Scottish Labour and the Scottish Liberal Democrats with four years of Scottish National Party minority government. It outlines the relative effect of each government on Scottish politics and public policy in various contexts, including: high expectations for ‘new politics' that were never fully realised; the influence of, and reactions from, the media and public; the role of political parties; the Scottish Government's relations with the UK Government, EU institutions, local government, quasi-governmental and non-governmental actors; and, the finance available to fund policy initiatives. It then considers how far Scotland has travelled on the road to constitutional change, comparing the original devolved framework with calls for independence or a new devolution settlement. The book draws heavily on information produced since 1999 by the Scottish Devolution Monitoring project (which forms one part of the devolution monitoring project led by the Constitution Unit, UCL) and is supplemented by new research on public policy, minority government, intergovernmental relations and constitutional change.