Answering the 30-Mark Source Question
A skills guide to Section A of Pearson Edexcel A Level Politics, Papers 1 and 2 (9PL0/01 and 9PL0/02) This guide is about the 30-mark source question that opens Section A of both Paper 1 (UK Politics and Core Political Ideas, 9PL0/01) and Paper 2 (UK Government and Non-core Political Ideas, 9PL0/02). You will meet […]
Has devolution strengthened or weakened the union?
Almost thirty years after the 1997 referendums, this is the biggest evaluative question about devolution in the UK, and experts disagree on the answer. The case that devolution has strengthened the union The case that devolution has weakened the union Reaching a judgement Both sides of this argument are based on real evidence, not just […]
The impact of devolution on the UK
Devolution has done more than just reorganise how the UK is governed. It has changed what people in different parts of the UK experience from government, and it has changed the relationship between the four nations and Westminster, sometimes in ways that were not fully expected back in 1997 and 1998. Policy divergence Because devolved […]
Devolution in England
England is the only one of the four nations without its own devolved parliament or government. Instead, devolution in England has grown piece by piece, through city and regional deals agreed individually with central government, alongside separate reforms aimed at giving ordinary local councils more freedom. The London Assembly and the Mayor of London The […]
The Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive
The Good Friday Agreement (also called the Belfast Agreement) was signed on 10 April 1998. It was a peace deal, and it was approved by referendums in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It ended most of the violence of the Troubles. The Northern Ireland Act 1998 turned this agreement into UK law. […]
The Welsh Senedd (Parliament) and Government
Welsh devolution started from a much weaker position than Scotland’s, and had to be built up in stages. The Government of Wales Act 1998 created a National Assembly for Wales but only gave it secondary powers. This meant it could apply and adapt laws that Westminster had already passed, but it could not make brand […]
Why the four nations received different settlements
The 1997 to 1998 settlements were not designed from a single blueprint. Each one reflected the different history, legal system and political pressures of the nation concerned. Analysis The size of each settlement in 1998 depended on how strong the demand for self-government was, and how urgent the problem being solved was. Scotland’s clear national […]
The Scottish Parliament and Government
The Scotland Act 1998 set up the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, in Edinburgh. It has 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). 73 are elected for individual constituencies using First Past the Post, the same system used at Westminster. The other 56 are elected from eight larger regions using the Additional Member System, which is […]
Devolution in the UK: Introduction
Edexcel A-level Politics: UK Government, component 1.3 — the role and powers of devolved bodies in the UK, and the impact of devolution on the UK “Devolution is a process, not an event.” — Ron Davies, Secretary of State for Wales, 1997 Ron Davies said this just before the 1997 devolution referendums, and it has […]
Has the UK constitution undergone a revolution since 1997?
Returning to Bogdanor’s claim that the reforms since 1997 amount to a “quiet revolution” that has produced, in effect, a new constitution, the evidence gathered across the four periods above can be read two ways. The case for “revolution” The case against “revolution” Reaching a judgement Bogdanor’s “revolution” and King’s “mess” represent opposite ends of […]