Covering the impact of austerity, Brexit, the Scottish Independence Referendum and the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive, this book discusses how wider national developments shape and are shaped by the process of devolution in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, assessing its impact on politics, policy and public administration. Drawing together extensive scholarship on devolution, Devolution in the UK compares the similarities and differences between the different devolved nations, and tackles key questions: - Where did devolution come from, and what does its future look like? - What are the most effective devolution systems, and what are their benefits? - Why does Wales have fewer devolved powers than Scotland and Northern Ireland? - What impact will Brexit have? - Why are national identities, symbols, languages, flags and culture so important? Spanning the introduction of devolution in 1988 to the present, this is essential reading if you are studying devolution, one of the country-specific political systems, or interested in UK politics as a whole.

This new book examines the House of Lords in both its Parliamentary and its judicial capacity. A total of 14 contributors discuss such important topics as the membership of the House,how the House compares with other second chambers in bicameral legislatures elsewhere, the role of the Lord Chancellor, the rules concerning discussion of sub judice matters and the stance taken by the Law Lords towards European Community law. At a time when the future of the House is once again under active consideration, the book serves to remind readers of the significance of the institution to the British constitution. It will be of interest to students of government and law as well as to practitioners in the field, including Parliamentarians and judges. The issues dealt with in this book go to the heart of how democracy manifests itself in the United Kingdom today.'. Contributors: Michael Rush, Nicholas Baldwin, Rodney Brazier, Paul Carmichael, Andrew Baker, Patricia Leopold, Gavin Drewry, Sir Louis Blom-Cooper, Brice Dickson, Barry Fitzpatrick, Anthony Bradney, Patricia Maxwell, Kenny Mullan, Simon Lee.

A distinctive and original analysis of how the politics of the UK and the lives of British citizens have evolved in the first decades of the twenty-first century, this book provides an interdisciplinary critical examination of the roots, ideology and consequences of austerity politics, the Brexit vote and the rise of populist politics in Britain. Bringing together case studies and perspectives from an array of international researchers across the social sciences, it dissects the ways that the UK has become increasingly contested with profound differences of geography, generation, gender, 'race' and class, and considers agency as a key concept to understand the links between austerity and Brexit.

This edited book, written by a collection of scholars with an interest in Northern Ireland, tracks its uneasy experience with devolution following the optimistic political period associated with the 1998 Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. The volume brings together researchers from the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) 'Devolution and Constitutional Change' Programme and other experts to record four key perspectives on Northern Ireland. First, it considers the inextricable link between devolution and constitutional developments. Second, it examines how the main political parties responded to devolution and the major challenges faced by society in moving beyond conflict (such as political symbolism, the role of women, equality and human rights issues). Third, it attempts to assess some of the workings of devolved government in its short-lived form or those seeded in devolution and carried on by direct rule ministers. Finally, Northern Irelands devolved government and associated institutions are located within the wider relationships with Westminster, the Republic of Ireland and Europe. This edited volume will be of interest to students of Irish politics and public policy, but more generally, from a comparative perspective, those with an interest in devolution and constitutional change. It may even assist politicians in Northern Ireland to reflect on the real potential to restore its devolved institutions and draw back from the brink of permanently copper-fastening 'direct rule' from Westminster. -- .

By examining the relationship between central governments and local authorities in a number of countries, the contributors to this study show how central governments exercise control and influence over the activities of local authorities.

A distinctive and original analysis of how the politics of the UK and the lives of British citizens have evolved in the first decades of the twenty-first century, this book provides an interdisciplinary critical examination of the roots, ideology and consequences of austerity politics, the Brexit vote and the rise of populist politics in Britain. Bringing together case studies and perspectives from an array of international researchers across the social sciences, it dissects the ways that the UK has become increasingly contested with profound differences of geography, generation, gender, 'race' and class, and considers agency as a key concept to understand the links between austerity and Brexit.

Covering the impact of austerity, Brexit, the Scottish Independence Referendum and the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive, this book discusses how wider national developments shape and are shaped by the process of devolution in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, assessing its impact on politics, policy and public administration. Drawing together extensive scholarship on devolution, Devolution in the UK compares the similarities and differences between the different devolved nations, and tackles key questions: - Where did devolution come from, and what does its future look like? - What are the most effective devolution systems, and what are their benefits? - Why does Wales have fewer devolved powers than Scotland and Northern Ireland? - What impact will Brexit have? - Why are national identities, symbols, languages, flags and culture so important? Spanning the introduction of devolution in 1988 to the present, this is essential reading if you are studying devolution, one of the country-specific political systems, or interested in UK politics as a whole.