The old centralised Westminster model is changing, with extensive new powers flowing to the nations and regions of the UK.
Scottish nationalists may have failed in their attempts at independence in September 2014, but the reverberations of the referendum have been felt across the UK, with decentralisation of power a key priority for this Government.
Additional powers promised to Scotland are being legislated for at Westminster as part of the Scotland Bill, with the biggest transfer of taxation powers in the history of the UK, but Scotland isn’t the only part of the UK set to receive a swathe of enhanced powers.
Wales too is set to become responsible for additional powers including speed limits and fracking development with a move to a ‘reserved powers’ model and the possibility of the National Assembly becoming the Welsh Parliament, once the Wales Bill – promised in the Queens speech – enters the Commons.
With fresh elections for the devolved administrations next year, there will also be continued focus on Northern Ireland. Challenges over passing the Budget and lack of consensus over the Stormont House Agreement have put further strains on the devolution settlement.
With the exception of London, England has often appeared the anomaly when it comes to devolution of power.
The failed 2004 North East Assembly referendum, and more recently in 2012, when a significant number of English cities rejected directly elected mayors suggested that England was less keen to add another layer of governance.
However, the ground-breaking Greater Manchester deal drawn up between the Treasury and local authorities will deliver a new directly elected mayor with responsibility over areas including health services, policing and transport.
The Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill, which is due to pass from the House of Lords to the House of Commons after the Summer recess, will change the political landscape of England.
These bespoke deals, as the Cornwall deal demonstrates, will enable communities to decide what powers are most appropriate for them.
Elections to the London Assembly in 2016 look set to reignite the debate over further powers for the capital, with calls for increased financial autonomy from Westminster, whilst arguments are set to continue over English votes for English laws in the Commons.
With a changing political landscape that will ultimately decide the future of the United Kingdom itself, Dods Monitoring has produced a briefing outlining the key pieces of legislation devolving power to the nations and regions.
You can download a copy
here.
If you have any questions about the devolution process and how Dods can help you keep track of these developments please contact
James Sloan
(James.Sloan@dods.co.uk) or
Ryan Gow
(Ryan.Gow@dods.co.uk)